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| A nice flush of chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphereus) This particular flush had a different growth form than the mushrooms I found at a different site last year. They were much thinner, and had wavier margins with much less yellow (Photo by Jenna Crovo). |
Last year, I wrote about
finding chicken of the woods, also known as the sulphur shelf (
Laetiporus sulphereus), in the smokies. Two weeks ago, I returned to the same area to conduct the annual fish survey, and hoped to find more. Often times, our hopes only dissapoint us, but not this time!. I have always said that foraging is part knowledge and part serendipity. You must be knowledgeable about what you are searching for, because if you are searching during the wrong time, in the wrong place, or in the wrong habitat, you aren't likely to find what you seek. However, even if you are armed with a lifetime of knowledge, you can still find things when you aren't actively searching for them. That's why it always pays to be observant of what is around you. Such was the case with these chicken of the woods mushrooms.
