Species guide

Turkey tail

Harmless

Trametes versicolor

Turkey tail
Photo: Annette Herz · CC BY

How to recognise it

Thin, leathery, fan-shaped brackets in concentric multicolored zones, growing in tiers on dead wood. Underneath is a fine white pore surface (not gills).

Is it dangerous?

Not toxic, but woody and inedible as food; it's popular in herbal teas. It has lookalikes, so confirm before any use.

Commonly confused with

  • False turkey tail smooth underside with no pores

What to do

Confirm the ID with an expert before any medicinal use.

Never decide what's safe to eat or touch from a photo or a web page. Identification here is for learning and curiosity only. For anything you might eat, handle or that could harm you or a pet, consult a qualified local expert — and seek medical or veterinary care if exposure has happened.

Recorded 200,970 times in the wild worldwide.

Think you've spotted one?

Photograph it and let SpecieSense confirm the species — and show you the reasoning.

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