This has to be one of of the most common mushrooms I find all year round. A real stunner, however, nowhere near as highly prized as a ‘true’ Turkey Tail mushroom.
False turkey tail is not poisonous, however, it’s not advised to eat by most sources. Mainly due to the fact that it’s wafer thin and extremely tough. Though research has found there to be antibacterial and anti-fungal activity present. ‘True’ Turkey Tail is far more superior with astonishing results found in the research related to health benefits, so I’d recommend you stick to them in your medicinal tea instead.
The way to tell the two apart is simple. Look on the underside of them. The false turkey Tail has a smooth underside with no gills or pores and the ‘true’ Turkey Tail is covered with tiny pores looking like little pin pricks. They do look very similar on the topside though.
I have a previous post on ‘true’ Turkey Tail if you wish to find out more.
Scientific Name: Stereum Ostrea
Happy foraging!