Dave Brumfield, Interpretive Naturalist
What is fan-shaped, multicolored, cancer-fighting and found all over the world? Would you believe it if we said a turkey tail? No, not the feathers found at the back end of a bird, but rather a beautiful little mushroom that grows on dead wood. This mushroom’s name comes from the fact that its color, pattern and shape resemble the tail feathers of a wild turkey.
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is a species of fungus that helps break down rotting logs and recycle nutrients back to the earth. It also has anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties and is used in the paper-making industry. The turkey tail is a small, leathery mushroom that lacks a stem and grows in overlapping shelves. Its upper surface is soft and velvety with attractive bands of varying colors. There are some impostors out there, though, that look similar. So how can you tell if what you are looking at is a true turkey tail? Real turkey tail have pores on the underside which look like little holes; the other look-alikes do not.
The next time you’re out hiking in the woods and you see turkey tail on a rotting log, stop and take a minute to enjoy their beauty and reflect upon the many benefits of this amazing little mushroom!
This article first appeared in the November/December issue of Green Islands magazine. For more stories like this, Summit County residents can subscribe here.