Lion's mane
A white waterfall of teeth, sweet as crab, unmistakable.
Know it
Lion's mane is a shaggy white mass of hanging spines, like a frozen waterfall, growing high on hardwood. There is nothing else that looks like it — which makes it one of the safest finds in the woods.
Where & when
host dead or dying oak, beech, maple season late summer to autumn range temperate, worldwide spore white
Why people chase it
Cooked, it flakes like crab and takes on butter beautifully. It's also one of the most-studied edible fungi, prized for compounds that support nerve health.