Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
inedible
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It smells slightly sour, and its spore print is white to yellowish. Ganoderma brackets, by contrast, have a strongly brown upper side, and their pores turn dark brown under pressure.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
Ganoderma brackets form glossy, varnished-looking bracket fungi, often with a stem, on deciduous and coniferous wood. They are woody and inedible; some species are discussed for medicinal use, but they are not something to collect for the kitchen.
Seasonall year round
Spore printbrown
FamilyGanodermataceae
- Cap. The caps are 5 to 30 cm wide, kidney- to fan-shaped, reddish brown to chestnut brown with a glossy, varnished surface.
- Underside. The underside is white to cream with fine pores.
- Stem, ring and volva. Many species have a lateral, hard stem; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. They smell and taste woody, with no culinary value.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is brown, very tough and woody.
Lookalikes
They are woody and inedible and are conspicuous on tree stumps.
Red-belted bracket Fomitopsis pinicola
inedible
It mostly has a reddish marginal band, paler flesh and often grows on conifer wood.
View on the mapWillow bracket Phellinus igniarius
inedible
It is very hard and woody throughout, and the crust cannot be pressed in.
View on the mapSide by side
| Ganoderma species | Tinder fungus | Red-belted bracket | Willow bracket | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 5 to 30 cm wide, kidney- to fan-shaped | hoof-shaped, 10 to 40 cm, hard grey crust | bracket-shaped, 5 to 40 cm, red marginal band | bracket- to hoof-shaped, 5 to 30 cm, cracked crust |
| Underside | white to cream with fine pores | pores small, round, grey-brown | pores fine, whitish to cream | pores fine, round, grey to brown |
| Stem | many species have a lateral, hard stem | absent, broadly attached to the trunk | absent, broadly attached to the wood | absent, broadly grown on for years |
| Flesh | brown, very tough and woody | cinnamon brown, fibrous, soft and felty | cream to pale brown, tough, corky | rust brown, very hard, woody |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | inedible | inedible |
Habitat & Season
Stumps, root stocks, fallen trunks. From the lowlands to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Dead and weakened deciduous and coniferous wood, often on stumps.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Perennial fruiting bodies, visible all year round.
Mushroom regions with a daily forecast
There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
Emergency: 112
Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).
Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.
Austria
Poison centre:
Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43
Emergency: 112 · 144
Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.
Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.
Why it is not edible
Woody and indigestible.
Self-medication with extracts is not recommended.
Frequently asked questions
Are Ganoderma brackets edible?
No, Ganoderma brackets are not edible. They are woody and indigestible and are conspicuous on tree stumps.
When and where do Ganoderma brackets grow?
Ganoderma brackets can be seen all year round, because their fruiting bodies are perennial. They grow on dead and weakened deciduous and coniferous wood, often on stumps, root stocks and fallen trunks.
Which look-alikes can Ganoderma brackets be mistaken for?
They can be mistaken for the tinder fungus, the red-belted bracket and the willow bracket. The tinder fungus smells slightly sour and has a white to yellowish spore print, whereas Ganoderma brackets have a strongly brown upper side, and their pores turn dark brown under pressure. The red-belted bracket mostly has a reddish marginal band, paler flesh and often grows on conifer wood. The willow bracket is very hard and woody throughout, and its crust cannot be pressed in.
How do you recognise Ganoderma brackets?
The spore print is brown. The caps are 5 to 30 cm wide, kidney- to fan-shaped, reddish brown to chestnut brown with a glossy, varnished surface.
Related species
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
- Fleecy milk-cap Lactarius vellereus
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Eric Steinert · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Tinder fungus: Photo: Heinonlein · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Red-belted bracket: Photo: Jason Hollinger (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Willow bracket: Photo: George Chernilevsky · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.