Oyster Mushroom

Pleurotus ostreatus

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
Fungi

Shelving white to tan caps with gills running down a stubby off-centre stem.

Field facts
HabitatDead hardwood, especially cottonwood and maple
RangeStatewide
When to lookSpring and autumn, and mild winters
StatusSecure (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesElm Oyster, Angel Wings — avoid

Field note: Oyster mycelium hunts and digests nematodes in the wood.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Leave older specimens; they are full of beetle larvae that feed birds.

Your records

No sightings yet. Log one from the Observe tab to earn this stamp.

Log a sighting