Turkey Tail Mushroom

Turkey Tail Mushroom (Trametes versicolor). A mushroom that’s commonly found throughout North America, also in Asia and Europe. It lives on standing dead trees, fallen trees or their stumps. And sometimes they’re found on wounds of living trees as well.

Turkey Tail Mushroom is saprophytic, which means that it creates enzymes which break down the cell walls of dead wood, supplying nourishment for the mushroom. As this process goes on, the mushrooms are helping clear the forest for new growth. 

In turn the Turkey Tail Mushroom is eaten by caterpillars of the Fungus Moth (Nemaxera betulinella), maggots of the Platypezid Fly (Polyporivora picta), and the Fungus Gnat (Mycetophila luctuosa).

But to me, one who roams the woods, in these mushrooms Mother Nature has created something to delight the eye.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Turkey Tail Mushroom”

  1. Superb photography of a fantastic subject!
    In addition to a turkey’s tail, this fungus also reminds me of a tree’s growth rings. But more colorful, so make that a petrified tree’s rings.

    1. Thanks bunches Steve! I was curious after I decided to use these photos as inspiration for tonight’s post. Curious about the lighting which is particularly nice. No wonder. I see I took the images at 8:20 AM on Oct 2, 2004. Early morning light and late afternoon light are just what I want for taking photographs.

      So, have you been to Petrified Forest Nat’l Park? Nice comparison!

      Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
      Bren

Comments are closed.