Choice
Lion's mane
Hericium erinaceus
The character that does the work
A white beard of long spines hanging from hardwood. Nothing dangerous resembles it.
The specimen sheet, in examination order
01Cap
A rounded white cushion 8 to 25 cm across, entirely covered in long hanging spines, yellowing with age.
02Underside
The spines are the fertile surface. There is no cap and no underside as such.
03Stem, and the base
A short attachment point into the wood.
04Flesh, cut
White, soft, fibrous.
05Spore print
White to cream
How to take one06Where it grows
On wounds and cut ends of living and dead hardwood, above all beech, oak and maple, often high up.
When to look
Typically Aug to Nov in the northern hemisphere. Fruiting swings by weeks with rainfall and by a month or more with latitude, so this is when to look rather than when it will be there.
North America, Europe and Asia.
What is worth knowing about it
Unmistakable, edible, and now the most heavily marketed functional mushroom there is, which has done its reputation no favours. The culinary case for it is strong and needs no help: the texture is genuinely crab-like. The supplement claims are a separate matter and are treated separately on this site.
Confused with
- Other Hericium species, all edible
In the kitchen
Tear into thick slabs, press between paper for a few minutes to drive out water, then sear hard in butter until deep gold on both sides. Undercooked lion's mane is spongy and disappointing, which is the usual reason people say they do not see the appeal.
The techniques, and why they workGrowing it
Sold as a supplement
The best case among the popular functional mushrooms and still a long way from proven. The honest position is that a small, unreplicated trial in 30 people is a reason to keep studying it, not a reason for the claims printed on the packaging.
The claims, graded by what the evidence actually isThis page tells you what to check. It does not tell you the mushroom in your hand is that species, and it cannot. If you are not certain, do not eat it. If you have already eaten something and feel unwell, contact a poison centre and keep an uncooked specimen.
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