Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
inedible
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It smells slightly sour, and its spore print is white to yellowish. The willow bracket, by contrast, is very hard and woody all the way through, and its crust cannot be pressed in.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
The willow bracket is a hard, perennial bracket fungus on living deciduous wood, with a dark, cracked surface. It is inedible.
Seasonall year round
Spore printbrown
FamilyHymenochaetaceae
- Cap. The fruiting bodies are 5 to 30 cm wide, bracket-shaped, dark brown to black, with a cracked surface.
- Underside. The pores are grey to brown, fine and round.
- Stem, ring and volva. There is no stem; the fruiting body sits broadly on the trunk.
- Smell and taste. It smells and tastes woody, with no culinary value.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is brown, tough and woody.
Lookalikes
It is woody and inedible and grows as a bracket fungus on living wood.
Red-belted bracket Fomitopsis pinicola
inedible
It usually has a reddish margin, paler flesh and often grows on conifer wood.
View on the mapGanoderma species Ganoderma spec.
inedible
Their upper side is a strong brown, and the pores turn dark brown when pressed.
View on the mapSide by side
| Willow bracket | Tinder fungus | Red-belted bracket | Ganoderma species | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | fruiting bodies 5 to 30 cm wide, bracket-shaped | hoof-shaped, 10 to 40 cm, hard grey crust | bracket-shaped, 5 to 40 cm, red margin | kidney- to fan-shaped, 5 to 30 cm, often glossy as if varnished |
| Underside | pores grey to brown, fine and round | pores small, round, grey-brown | pores fine, whitish to cream | pores fine, white to cream, brown when pressed |
| Stem | no stem, broad attachment to the trunk | absent, broadly attached to the trunk | absent, broadly attached to the wood | absent or lateral, hard |
| Flesh | brown, tough and woody | cinnamon-brown, fibrous, felty soft | cream to pale brown, tough, corky | brown, very tough, corky to woody |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | inedible | inedible |
Habitat & Season
Trunks and large branches. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Living deciduous wood, such as birch, beech and ash.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
Perennial bracket on living deciduous 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
Woody and indigestible.
Document bracket fungi; do not knock them off.
Frequently asked questions
Is the willow bracket edible?
No, the willow bracket is not edible. It is woody and indigestible and grows as a bracket fungus on living wood.
When and where does the willow bracket grow?
The willow bracket can be seen all year round as a perennial bracket on living deciduous wood. It grows on trunks and large branches, for example of birch, beech and ash.
Which look-alikes can the willow bracket be confused with?
You can confuse it with the tinder fungus, the red-belted bracket and Ganoderma species. The tinder fungus smells slightly sour and has a white to yellowish spore print, whereas the willow bracket is very hard and woody all the way through, and its crust cannot be pressed in. The red-belted bracket usually has a reddish margin, paler flesh and often grows on conifer wood. Ganoderma species have a strong brown upper side, and their pores turn dark brown when pressed.
How do you recognise the willow bracket?
The spore print is brown. The fruiting bodies are 5 to 30 cm wide, bracket-shaped, dark brown to black, with a cracked 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: George Chernilevsky · Public domain · 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
- 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.