Cauliflower fungus

About

Cauliflower fungus is a mushroom that is hard to confuse with any other. Its fruiting body consists of numerous wavy, twisted lobes that extend from a thick base, resembling creamy-yellow cauliflower or a sea sponge. One mushroom can weigh several kilograms.

It grows at the base of the trunks or on the roots of coniferous trees, mainly pine, less often spruce or fir, and causes wood rot. In Ukraine, it occurs sporadically: in the Carpathians, Polissya, Forest-Steppe, and in the mountainous Crimea. It is protected, particularly in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and in the Skole Beskids National Nature Park.

It is a saprotroph and a weak parasite: the fungus lives off the wood of the roots and trunk, causing brown rot. Therefore, cauliflower fungus is more often found in old pine and mixed forests where there are mature trees. The color of the fruiting body changes from whitish in young mushrooms to creamy-ochre in older ones, and the edges of the lobes brown over time. The mushroom has a pleasant nutty smell.

Fruiting bodies appear in late summer and autumn. The mushroom often grows on the same tree for several consecutive years.

In Poland, cauliflower fungus (siedzuń) is allowed to be sold as an edible mushroom, but in Ukraine, it is a rare species listed in the Red Book with the status of "endangered." Therefore, collecting it is prohibited: if you are lucky enough to find it, photograph the mushroom and leave it in the forest. Your observation with a photo and date, added to iNaturalist, will help scientists. The Red Book of Ukraine protects the species throughout the country, not just in reserves. Destroying or collecting red-listed mushrooms without special permission is prohibited by law.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Poland · Ukraine · Slovakia · Austria

Mountain ranges

Štiavnica Mountains, Pokuttia-Bukovina Carpathians, Low Beskids, Chornohora, Bieszczady, Maramureș Mountains

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Safety

The species is protected: collecting is prohibited, even if the mushroom is edible.

Protection and rules

Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (endangered). Collecting is prohibited — photograph it and leave it in the forest.

Admire, don’t pick: plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine — and any plants in nature reserves and strictly protected zones of national parks — must not be collected.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ