Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
inedible
It has no striking smell, and its spore print is white. Its cap is colourfully zoned and silky-glossy, whereas in the hairy bracket the cap is grey and coarsely hairy.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The hairy bracket forms grey, coarsely hairy brackets on dead deciduous wood. It is inedible and resembles the turkey tail.
Seasonall year round
Spore printwhite
FamilyPolyporaceae
- Cap. The caps are 3 to 8 cm wide, thin, grey, with coarse, bristly hair and no colourful, glossy zones.
- Underside. The pores are whitish to cream and fine.
- Stem, ring and volva. There is no stem; the cap sits at the side of the wood.
- Smell and taste. It has no striking smell and is leathery and tough.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is white, tough and thin.
Lookalikes
It is tough and inedible and stands out for its coarsely hairy cap.
Trametes ochracea
inedible
It lacks the silky, glossy zones, and the point of attachment is distinctly thicker.
View on the mapSide by side
| Hairy bracket | Turkey tail | Trametes ochracea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | caps 3 to 8 cm wide, thin | 3 to 8 cm, thin, colourfully zoned, velvety | 3 to 10 cm, thin, ochre-brown to grey zoned |
| Underside | pores whitish to cream, fine | pores whitish to cream, very fine | pores whitish, fine |
| Stem | no stem, attached at the side to the wood | absent, attached in overlapping tiers to the wood | absent, thick point of attachment to the wood |
| Flesh | white, tough and thin | thin, tough, white | tough, whitish |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | inedible |
Habitat & Season
Stumps and fallen branches. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Dead deciduous wood, especially beech and birch.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
All year round on dead wood.
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. Not an edible mushroom: do not collect it 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
Tough and leathery.
Do not collect for the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hairy bracket edible?
No, the hairy bracket is not edible. It is tough and stands out for its coarsely hairy cap.
When and where does the hairy bracket grow?
The hairy bracket can be found all year round on dead deciduous wood, especially on beech and birch, on stumps and fallen branches.
Which look-alikes can the hairy bracket be confused with?
You can confuse it with the turkey tail and Trametes ochracea. The turkey tail has no striking smell and a white spore print, and its cap is colourfully zoned and silky-glossy, whereas in the hairy bracket the cap is grey and coarsely hairy. Trametes ochracea lacks the silky, glossy zones, and its point of attachment is distinctly thicker.
How do you recognise the hairy bracket?
The spore print is white. The caps are 3 to 8 cm wide, thin, grey, with coarse, bristly hair and no colourful, glossy zones.
Related species
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Fleecy milk-cap Lactarius vellereus
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Turkey tail: Photo: AnRo0002 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Trametes ochracea: Photo: Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.