Chicken of the Woods on an oak tree in Darlands Nature Reserve

Dear Readers, it has been an interesting year for fungi, and after yesterday’s look at Death Cap, here’s a fungus that you actually can eat (although in the case of those in the photo, you’d have to have crampons and be prepared to climb up about 10 metres of straight tree trunk).

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is most often seen on oak trees, but can also grow on yew, eucalyptus, sweet chestnut and cherry. It is said to have the texture of chicken, though those who’ve eaten it, such as Peter Marren in his book ‘Mushrooms’ (a brilliant read if you haven’t come across it) says that he was unsure what all the fuss was about. However, Marren suggests that some caution is required – some people, upon eating the fungus, have had mild allergic reactions, such as swelling lips and giddiness. Marren hypothesises that the fungus may sometimes pick up the toxins from the tree that it grows on, particularly yew, though maybe, as with all things, some individuals just react badly to some foods.

Chicken of the Woods in Coldfall Wood (Photo by Neville Young)

This really is a spectacular fungus, but does it do any harm? The tree that it was on in Darlands had a scar running down its trunk, probably from a lightning strike, but was otherwise in good health. The fungus causes a brown cubical rot – the cellulose in the cell walls of the heartwood of the tree breaks down, which you might think would be a bad thing. However, scientists at Kew suggest that it might actually be helpful in a variety of ways.

Firstly, the breakdown of the heartwood, which is no longer ‘alive’, releases nutrients for the tree. Secondly, this new supply of nutrients can cause the tree to develop new roots around the hollow area, to take advantage of the new food. And finally, as the tree hollows out it may produce buttress roots, to stabilise it against high winds.

Brown cubical rot (Photo By Beentree – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1098816)

The Kew scientists also point out that dark crevices created by the hollowing-out process are extremely biodiverse, creating homes for bats, birds and small mammals, along with a myriad of invertebrates, lichens, mosses and microorganisms. The scientists point out that a misunderstanding of what fungi such as Chicken of the Woods and Beefsteak fungus are doing may cause trees to be felled unnecessarily. And while it’s true that even a fallen oak is an amazing thing as far as other living organisms are concerned, it’s always a shame when one is cut down before its time.

Let’s hope that the Darlands oak continues to thrive. It certainly looks well at the moment, in spite of the lightning scar that runs down the trunk. Who amongst us has lived without any scars?

The Darlands Oak Tree

The fungus itself is also a source of food for non-humans –  some insects feed only on bracket fungi such as Chicken of the Woods, including the delightfully named Hairy Fungus Beetle (Pseudotriphyllus suturalis). And deer are also fond of the fungus, if they can reach it. There can sometimes be a lot to eat – the record size for a Chicken of the Woods mushroom was apparently over 100 lbs.

Finally, the genome of Chicken of the Woods has now been sequenced at Kew – this should help to unlock some of the secrets of its role in the forest ecosystem, and might also pave the way for understanding some of its potential medical characteristics: it’s been found to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, for example. The bacteria is found on all of our skins, but can also cause food poisoning, abscesses, cellulitis, sepsis and toxic shock syndrome. With growing antibiotic resistance in bacteria, anything that might provide an alternative solution to infection is to be heartily welcomed.