Tinder fungus

Fomes fomentarius
Inedible
Tinder fungus
Photo: Marek Hrušovský, CC BY, iNaturalist
Tinder fungus
Photo: Reinhold Möller Ermell, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Tinder fungus
Photo: George Chernilevsky, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons

Never identify a mushroom from a photo alone. If in doubt, leave it. In case of poisoning call 112 (103 in Ukraine) at once.

About

The Tinder fungus is a mushroom that everyone who has walked through the Carpathian beech forests has seen. Its gray 'hooves' sit on the trunks of old and dead beeches, often several stacked on top of each other. In the northern part of its range, it primarily grows on birches, while further south, it grows on beeches, as well as on oaks, linden, maples, poplars, and willows. It is rarely found on coniferous trees.

The fruiting body is perennial, very hard, hoof-shaped, 5–45 cm wide. The top is gray or gray-brown, with concentric growth rings, each corresponding to a year of growth. The underside is porous, gray-brown. The fungus penetrates the wood through damaged bark and causes white rot, thus devaluing the wood, but at the same time, it accelerates the decomposition of dead trunks and the return of nutrients to the soil.

The history of this fungus is ancient. For thousands of years, it was used to make tinder—a soft, felt-like material that easily ignites from a spark. Four pieces of Tinder fungus were found with Ötzi, the man whose mummy was discovered in the Alps and is over 5000 years old. The same material was used to make hats and other products.

The Tinder fungus is not suitable for food: its flesh is woody and has a bitter taste. It can easily be confused with the Fomitopsis pinicola, which mostly grows on spruces and has an orange margin at the edge, or with the Phellinus igniarius, which has a dark, almost black cracked top. On the trail, just take a photo of it: old beeches with Tinder fungi are part of the natural forest that should be preserved.

Where in the Carpathians

fewermore144 records 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
Slovakia · Austria · Hungary · Ukraine · Poland · Czechia · Romania · Serbia
Mountain ranges
Slovak Ore Mountains, Považský Inovec, Gorgany, Polonynian Ridge, Mátra, White Carpathians, Skole Beskids, Krasna Polonyna, Strážov Mountains, Maramureș Mountains
Altitude belts
Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sightings

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

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

Red-belted conkFomitopsis pinicolaInedible

Grows mainly on spruces, with a dark top featuring a reddish-orange band and a white edge.

False tinder fungusPhellinus igniariusInedible

The top is dark gray to black, often cracked; the flesh is very hard and rusty-brown. Experts distinguish them with a drop of a lye solution (potassium hydroxide): on a piece of Tinder fungus, it turns dark blood-red.

Protection and rules

Not protected.

FAQ

What are the gray mushrooms growing on beeches?

Most often, these are Tinder fungi: hard gray 'hooves' with concentric growth rings. They are inedible.

How was tinder made from the Tinder fungus?

The middle, soft layer of the fungus was used to make a felt-like material that easily ignited from a spark. Such tinder was even found in Ötzi's equipment—a man who lived over 5000 years ago.

Similar species

Red-belted conkIn season nowRed-belted conkFomitopsis pinicolaHow to tell: Grows mainly on spruces, with a dark top featuring a reddish-orange band and a white edge.
Chicken of the woodsEdible only after cookingChicken of the woodsLaetiporus sulphureusBright yellow-orange "shelves" on tree trunks. Young edges are conditionally edible after boiling; the mushroom is not eaten raw.
European beechEuropean beechFagus sylvaticaA tree with light gray smooth bark that forms the Carpathian primeval forests — a UNESCO World Heritage site. It grows up to a height of about 1400 m.

Where to meet it

Trails

Pashkivtsi village – Mount Hostra HoraModerateOne-dayMarkedPashkivtsi village Mount Hostra HoraElevation profile482–1 345 m5.8 kmascent 872 m≈ 3 h walkingPreluka tract, via Mount Ostra Hora to Roztoka villageModerateOne-dayMarkedPreluka tract to Roztoka villagevia Mount Ostra HoraElevation profile839–1 405 m9.5 kmascent 567 m≈ 3.5 h walkingTuria Poliana village – Voievodyn WaterfallEasyOne-dayTuria Poliana village Voievodyn WaterfallElevation profile431–878 m7 kmascent 447 m≈ 2.5 h walkingPashkivtsi village, via Mount Hostra, Preluka tract and Voievodyn Waterfall to Pashkivtsi villageHardMulti-dayMarkedPashkivtsi village loopvia Mount Hostra, Preluka tract +1Elevation profile463–1 393 m32.5 kmascent 1 431 m≈ 11 h walkingPreluka tract, via Mount Ostra Hora, Mount Lysyna and Nyzky Pass to Preluka tractModerateTwo-dayPreluka tract loopvia Mount Ostra Hora, Mount Lysyna +1Elevation profile752–1 405 m18.1 kmascent 874 m≈ 6.5 h walkingZbyny – VoievodynModerateOne-dayMarkedZbyny VoievodynElevation profile438–1 227 m13.7 kmascent 236 m≈ 4 h walking
Pashkivtsi – Mount HostraModerateOne-dayMarkedPashkivtsi Mount HostraElevation profile482–1 405 m6.6 kmascent 979 m≈ 3.5 h walkingMount Hostra – PrelukyModerateTwo-dayMarkedMount Hostra PrelukyElevation profile660–1 405 m19.4 kmascent 1 038 m≈ 7 h walkingTuria Poliana village – Voievodyn Waterfall – Turia Poliana villageModerateTwo-dayTuria Poliana village loopvia Voievodyn WaterfallElevation profile471–979 m14.3 kmascent 506 m≈ 4.5 h walkingDragobrat, via Mount Stih, Mount Velykyi Kotel, Mount Unhariaska and Mount Tempa to Krasna villageHardMulti-dayDragobrat to Krasna villagevia Mount Stih, Mount Velykyi Kotel +2Elevation profile421–1 762 m35.3 kmascent 871 m≈ 10.5 h walkingRuna polonyna, via Preluka tract to Pashkivtsi villageEasyOne-dayMarkedRuna polonyna to Pashkivtsi villagevia Preluka tractElevation profile472–1 480 m13.1 kmascent 88 m≈ 3.5 h walkingPashkivtsi village, via Mount Hostra Hora and Voievodyn Waterfall to Pashkivtsi villageHardMulti-dayMarkedPashkivtsi village loopvia Mount Hostra Hora, Voievodyn WaterfallElevation profile465–1 472 m29.9 kmascent 1 817 m≈ 11 h walking

Mountain ranges: Gorgany, Polonynian Ridge, Skole Beskids, Krasna Polonyna, Maramureș Mountains. In other countries: 🇸🇰 Slovak Ore Mountains, 🇸🇰 Považský Inovec, 🇭🇺 Mátra, 🇨🇿 White Carpathians, 🇸🇰 Strážov Mountains, 🇷🇴 Bihor-Vlădeasa Mountains, 🇭🇺 Zemplén Mountains, 🇵🇱 Pieniny, 🇵🇱 Babia Góra

Trails and peaks near which naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, iNaturalist), matched by altitude and habitat. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Sources

GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata · Distribution data: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY records), iNaturalist; names and identifiers: Wikidata (CC0). Text: Karpaty.rocks, checked 09.11.2026.