In Chicagoland, grow out of a old tree stump.
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That’s chicken of the woods, Laetiporus sulphureus, a delicious edible mushroom.
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Thank you for identifying it. Should I leave it to grow larger or pick it up now. It grows in the yard so no one else will pick it
It looks like it could get a bit larger. I wouldn’t wait much more than a week though, as it can get tough with age. The yellow part at the margin of the shelf is the most tender bit. If you are going to eat this, only consume a small amount at first. This species is known to disagree with some people and can cause gastrointestinal distress (more often when growing on pines).
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Ok .Thanks again. It is growing on a pine stump
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@Fruitfanatic , I harvested the mushroom on the picture. It is a lot bigger than show on the picture. The top turned brownish but it is still moisture. The back of the mushroom is smooth yellow color.
I would like you to confirm that it is a edible chicken of the woods mushroom. Thanks
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Yes, but since you say it was growing on pine I would be hesitant to eat it. The resin in pine is absorbed by the fungus and can taste bad or cause gastric upset. Always when you eat a new mushroom only consume a small amount first to make sure it agrees with you, as individual allergies are possible.
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Thanks Ben. I actually not sure it was pine tree or no. It actually looks like a hardwood tree
I hope @IL847 does not mind that I’d like to tag along.
Found this mushroom near my peach tree. Very delicate and pretty. Wonder what it is.
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I think I have same mushroom in my yard too, love to know what it is, or is it edible?
Tippy, did you find there are a lot more mushrooms showing up this year? I don’t recall I have so many mushrooms in the yard
Yes, a lot more. It could be that we have a lot of water and moisture in the soil and mulch. I don’t eat any of mushroom in my yard. I am a big chicken. I only eat mushroom bought from the store 
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LOL. The chicken of the woods will be my first wild mushroom that I eat. I usually only mushrooms bought from store , only two types white mushroom or brown mushroom😂
That’s a maitake, grifola frondosa, indeed. it can vary in color, and get to be as big as a basketball.
@IL847 This looks like maitake hen of the woods or a similar species. They usually grow around older oak trees. Was this growing out of the ground around the base of the tree or off th tree its self? Typically with maitake the pore surface is white. There are some lookalikes (such as black staining polypore), all of which are also edible. Certainly though, if you are not 100% sure on the ID, do not eat it.
This is the picture. I had store bought maitake before and the texture and color is very difficult. So is it a chicken of the woods? I hesitate to eat it now
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That photo is a dead ringer for chicken of the woods.
And at its most edible stage.
The later photos you posted ., show it at past it’s prime.
When good , it’s very good,
Past prime not so much…
As with any mushroom ,proper Id . Is important.
This link is recommended. Check all of the description.
https://www.mushroomexpert.com/laetiporus_sulphureus.html
And compare To other polypores
Such as the recommended hen of the Wood’s
https://www.mushroomexpert.com/grifola_frondosa.html
A significant difference of the two is ,
pores are yellow on chicken of the woods.
More white on hen of the woods .
Hen of the woods is not sulfer yellow .
It likely will come back next year , same place / time …
So you still have a good chance to eat it at prime .
A memorable experience, was I fixed a big batch of chicken of the woods sautéed with chicken .
I remember how good the chicken of the woods was , it soaked up the broth , very good ! Better than the chicken . Which was feed to the cat !
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The first photo and second photo took exactly one week apart. I didn’t anticipated it grow so fast. It was on a stump under full sun. It is yellow on its back. I cut some and put it in freezer and plan to taste some soon
There are 2 species, at least, on the east coast. That one, with an orange top and yellow pores, gets woody as it ages, although because it grows continuously the tips or outer edges will be more tender than the base. The general test to see how far back they will be edible is to try pinching through with your fingers. They also dry out as they age, so moisture needs to be added when cooking. The flavor also becomes more acidic.
Be sure to cook them very well, aside from allergic reactions and sensitivity(which is why you should try only a small piece the first time and waiting to eat more) there are sulfur compounds that can cause stomach upset, and potent gas.
The picture of the yellow/orange mushroom on the stump is 100% chicken of the woods. If the second picture is the same mushroom a week later showing that kind of discoloration I would not eat it as it is past it’s prime and should still be that vibrant yellow/orange color to be considered good to eat.
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mamuang,
Yours could be a kind of Inky Cap.
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