Emily Johnson
The turkey tail mushroom, or Trametes versicolor, is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. It is called so because its shape and colours resemble those of a wild turkey's tail feathers. The top of the mushroom has distinct bands of varying colours, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, black, red, orange, cinnamon, and white. The underside of the mushroom is whitish to light brown and has tiny pores. The margin is always the lightest in colour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Trametes versicolor, Coriolus versicolor, Polyporus versicolor |
| Common Name | Turkey Tail |
| Colour | Black-green, grey-blue, grey-brown, ochre-rust, brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, black, white |
| Texture | Leathery, velvety, hairy, smooth |
| Shape | Fan-shaped, semicircular to spoon-shaped, tiered layers |
| Size | 1-4 inches wide |
| Pores | White, angular, tiny, uniform |
| Stalk | Not present |
| Spore Print | White |
| Spores | Cylindrical, smooth |
| Seasonality | May–December, but can be found year-round |
| Habitat | Dead trees, logs, stumps, branches of deciduous trees, hardwood forests |
| Similar Species | Stereum ostrea (False Turkey Tail), Trichaptum biforme (Violet Toothed Polypore), Lenzites betulina (Multicolor Gill Polypore), Stereum hirsutum, Trichaptum abietinum |
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What You'll Learn
- Turkey tail mushrooms have a white underside with tiny pores
- The cap has bands of varying colours, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green and black
- The outer margin of the cap is always pale, either cream or white
- False turkey tail mushrooms have a smooth, non-porous underside, usually beige in colour
- The Violet Toothed Polypore is another lookalike, with a lilac margin and purple underside
Turkey tail mushrooms have a white underside with tiny pores
Turkey tail mushrooms, or Trametes versicolor, are commonly found in forests throughout the world. They are characterised by their multicoloured caps, which feature distinct bands of varying colours, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, and black. The outer margin of the cap is always pale, ranging from cream to white.
The undersides of turkey tail mushrooms are white with tiny, uniform pores. These pores are a key identifying feature, as similar-looking "false turkey tail" mushrooms, such as Stereum ostrea, have smooth, non-porous undersides. The presence of pores on the underside of turkey tail mushrooms classifies them as polypores, meaning they release their spores through these tiny pores instead of gills.
The white underside of turkey tail mushrooms contrasts with the colourful bands on the cap, which can be various combinations of grey, brown, black, green, blue, ochre, and rust. The caps are thin, tough, and leathery, with a fine velvety texture and small hairs. The bands of colour on the cap make the "true" turkey tail easily recognisable, especially when compared to the paler, cream-coloured margin of the "false turkey tail".
Turkey tail mushrooms grow in clusters of leathery, thin brackets, often on stumps and logs of deciduous trees. They are saprobic fungi, meaning they play a crucial role in breaking down the tough materials that wood is made of and returning those nutrients to the soil. Their ability to decompose wood makes them an important part of the ecosystem, and they are commonly found by foragers due to their abundance and distinctive appearance.
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The cap has bands of varying colours, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green and black
The cap of the turkey tail mushroom features bands of varying colours, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green and black. The outer margin is always pale, ranging from cream to white. These bands are velvety and hairy, and they adorn the cap in concentric rings. The underside of the mushroom is whitish with tiny, uniform pores.
Turkey tail mushrooms, or Trametes versicolor, are one of the most commonly found mushrooms in North America. They are small, tough, bracket fungi that grow in tiered layers on dead wood, particularly on the stumps and logs of deciduous trees. They are commonly found on hardwoods such as beech or oak.
The name 'turkey tail' comes from the mushroom's shape, which resembles that of a wild turkey's tail feathers. The scientific name, Trametes versicolor, also references the mushroom's multicoloured bands, with 'versicolor' meaning 'of several colours'.
Turkey tail mushrooms are often used for their medicinal properties and are commonly marketed as a dietary supplement. However, there is insufficient scientific evidence to support their effectiveness, and quality can vary due to inconsistent processing and labelling.
It is important to accurately identify turkey tail mushrooms before consuming them, as there are many similar-looking species, including Stereum ostrea (false turkey tail), which has a smooth, non-porous underside.
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The outer margin of the cap is always pale, either cream or white
The outer margin of the cap of a turkey tail mushroom is always pale, either cream or white. This is a key feature in identifying a true turkey tail mushroom, as the outer margin of the cap of its look-alikes tends to be purple to lilac in tone.
The underside of the cap of a turkey tail mushroom is whitish or whitish-yellow with tiny, uniform pores. The presence of these pores is another important feature in distinguishing a true turkey tail mushroom from its look-alikes, which have a smooth, non-porous underside.
Turkey tail mushrooms, or Trametes versicolor, are one of the most commonly found mushrooms in North America. They are small, tough, bracket fungi that grow in tiered layers on dead wood, mainly hardwood, such as beech or oak. They are very common and can be found throughout the year, though they typically grow from May to December.
The caps of turkey tail mushrooms are thin and tough, with very clear, velvety, concentric rings of colour. The colours are variable mixes of brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, and black. The bands of colours on the cap make the "true" turkey tail easy to recognize.
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False turkey tail mushrooms have a smooth, non-porous underside, usually beige in colour
False turkey tail mushrooms, or Stereum ostrea, are often mistaken for the real thing. However, they have a smooth, non-porous underside, usually beige in colour. This is a key difference between false and true turkey tail mushrooms. The latter has a pore surface, with tiny, uniform pores visible on its white underside.
The underside of a mushroom is, therefore, a quick and easy way to identify whether it is a false or true turkey tail mushroom. True turkey tail mushrooms have a white or whitish-yellow underside, with small pores. False turkey tails, on the other hand, have a smooth, non-porous underside, which is usually beige.
The top of a true turkey tail mushroom has distinct bands of varying colours, with small hairs. The cap is semicircular to spoon-shaped, with velvety, concentric rings of colour. The colours are variable mixes of brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, and black, but the outer margin is always pale, either cream or white.
False turkey tail mushrooms are not poisonous, although they are not particularly tasty or useful as far as we know. True turkey tail mushrooms, on the other hand, are often consumed for their medicinal properties. They are commonly marketed as a dietary supplement with various health benefits, although there is insufficient scientific evidence to support these claims.
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The Violet Toothed Polypore is another lookalike, with a lilac margin and purple underside
Turkey tail mushrooms, or Trametes versicolor, are characterised by their striking multicoloured bands, which tend to be grey or brown, and are always covered with small, velvety hairs. The underside of the mushroom is whitish in colour with tiny, uniform pores.
However, there are several lookalikes, including the False Turkey Tail (Stereum ostrea), which has a smooth, non-porous underside, usually beige in colour. The Violet Toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme) is another mushroom that can be mistaken for a Turkey Tail. The key difference is in the colour of the outer edge and underside. The Violet Toothed Polypore has a lilac to purple outer edge and a purple underside with larger, tooth-like pores. The underside of the mushroom is a key identifier, with the Violet Toothed Polypore's underside being a distinctive purple colour, in contrast to the whitish underside of the Turkey Tail.
The Violet Toothed Polypore is often found in similar habitats to the Turkey Tail, growing on dead wood, particularly hardwoods such as beech and oak. It is also a bracket fungus, forming semi-circular caps around tree trunks, with thin, tough caps. However, unlike the Turkey Tail, the Violet Toothed Polypore's cap has a lilac margin and a purple underside, with larger pores that resemble teeth.
When foraging for mushrooms, it is important to be absolutely sure of your identification before consuming any wild mushrooms, as some can be poisonous. While the Violet Toothed Polypore is not poisonous, it is reportedly not particularly tasty or useful.
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Frequently asked questions
The color of turkey tail mushrooms is highly variable. The top of the mushroom features distinct bands of varying colors, including brown, yellow, grey, purple, green, black, red, orange, cinnamon, and white. The underside of the mushroom is whitish or pale brown.
The key to identifying a turkey tail mushroom lies on the underside of the mushroom. False turkey tails have a smooth non-porous underside, usually beige in color. The violet-toothed polypore has a violet-tinged outer edge and a purple underside with larger, tooth-like pores. The multicolor gill polypore has a gill-like underside.
The caps of turkey tail mushrooms are about 0.7 to 4 inches wide and are quite thin at only 0.04 to 0.08 inches in thickness. Depending on how mature the mushrooms are, the cap may be convex or flat. The caps can come in a variety of shapes, including kidney-shaped, circular, semi-circular, bracket-shaped, or fan-shaped.
Turkey tail mushrooms are one of the most commonly found mushrooms in North America. They grow on dead logs and stumps of deciduous trees, particularly beech or oak. They can be found year-round but are most commonly found between May and December.
