• New tree growth?

    Question

    Just discovered this growth on a maple near our house near The Rookery... it has the consistency of Jello and must have appeared very quickly since I don’t recall seeing it even 3-4 days ago... Can you identify it..?... the colors in the photo are accurate... Mushroom or something else..?.. The tree is living but not thriving

    Naturalist's Response

    What you have there is a bearded tooth fungus, also known as lion’s mane fungus, hedgehog fungus and pom-pom fungus.  It’s a common fungus in our local forests that grows as a parasite on beech, oak and other hardwood trees.  Click here and here for a couple of other references to check out online. -Naturalist Dan Best