Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
inedible
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It smells slightly sour, and its spore print is white to yellowish. The red-belted bracket mostly has a reddish marginal band, paler flesh and often grows on conifer wood.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The red-belted bracket is a hard, perennial bracket fungus with a red marginal band and a grey to brown upper side. It grows mainly on conifer wood and is inedible.
Seasonall year round
Spore printwhite
FamilyFomitopsidaceae
- Cap. The fruiting bodies are 5 to 40 cm wide, bracket-shaped, grey to brown with a characteristically red, often distinct margin.
- Underside. The underside is whitish to cream with fine pores.
- Stem, ring and volva. There is no stem; the fruiting body sits broadly on the wood.
- Smell and taste. It smells and tastes woody, with no culinary value.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is brown, tough and woody, often with light and dark lines in cross-section.
Lookalikes
It is woody and inedible and grows as a bracket fungus on conifer wood.
Willow bracket Phellinus igniarius
inedible
It is very hard and woody throughout, and the crust cannot be pressed in.
View on the mapGanoderma species Ganoderma spec.
inedible
Their upper side is strongly brown, and the pores turn dark brown under pressure.
View on the mapSide by side
| Red-belted bracket | Tinder fungus | Willow bracket | Ganoderma species | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | 5 to 40 cm wide, bracket-shaped, red margin | hoof-shaped, 10 to 40 cm, hard grey crust | bracket- to hoof-shaped, 5 to 30 cm, cracked crust | kidney- to fan-shaped, 5 to 30 cm, often glossy as if varnished |
| Underside | whitish to cream with fine pores | pores small, round, grey-brown | pores fine, round, grey to brown | pores fine, white to cream, turn brown under pressure |
| Stem | no stem, broadly attached to the wood | absent, broadly attached to the trunk | absent, broadly grown on for years | absent or lateral, hard |
| Flesh | brown, tough and woody | cinnamon brown, fibrous, soft and felty | rust brown, very hard, woody | brown, very tough, corky to woody |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | inedible | inedible |
Habitat & Season
On standing and fallen conifer wood. From the lowlands to the subalpine zone.
Host trees
Mainly spruce and pine, also larch.
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. 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
Woody and indigestible.
Leave the fruiting bodies standing; they are important for the breakdown of wood in the forest.
Frequently asked questions
Is the red-belted bracket edible?
No, the red-belted bracket is not edible. It is woody and indigestible and grows as a bracket fungus on conifer wood.
When and where does the red-belted bracket grow?
The red-belted bracket can be seen all year round, because its fruiting bodies are perennial. It grows mainly on standing and fallen conifer wood such as spruce, pine and larch, from the lowlands to the subalpine zone.
Which look-alikes can the red-belted bracket be mistaken for?
It can be mistaken for the tinder fungus, the willow bracket and Ganoderma brackets. The tinder fungus smells slightly sour and has a white to yellowish spore print, whereas 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. Ganoderma brackets have a strongly brown upper side, and their pores turn dark brown under pressure.
How do you recognise the red-belted bracket?
The spore print is white. The fruiting bodies are 5 to 40 cm wide, bracket-shaped, grey to brown with a characteristically red, often distinct margin.
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: Jason Hollinger (Mushroom Observer) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Tinder fungus: Photo: Heinonlein · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Willow bracket: Photo: George Chernilevsky · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Ganoderma species: Photo: Eric Steinert · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.