Hickory Run Foraging
Mushroom finds and foraging notes from the property at 7105 Guess Rd. Photos with dates and rough IDs.

Mushroom Finds — August 2026
August 2026 — Property Walk
Photos from the property, taken August 4, 2026. Rough observations only — no mushroom should be eaten based on a photo. IDs are guesses from photos alone; confirm with a field guide / spore print / local expert before ever considering edibility.
Photo Gallery
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Notes
Red-capped brittlegills (Russula sp.) — several photos show red/orange caps that fade toward the margin. Classic Russula look; the red group includes toxic species (e.g. R. emetica, "The Sickener"). Treat all red Russulas as inedible unless positively identified.
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) — at least one photo shows the classic striped shelf fungus on a fallen log. Not edible (tough), but a good sign of healthy wood decay.
Small orange-brown litter mushrooms — most of the batch: small tan/orange caps in leaf litter, often clustered. Likely several different species (possibly Laccaria, Gymnopus, or young Russula); not identifiable from photos alone.
Bracket/shelf fungi — at least one fan-shaped bracket on wood.
Peak season in NC runs roughly September–November. If you keep photographing finds, this page can grow into a property species log.
Chanterelle Find — August 7, 2026
ID: true chanterelle (Cantharellus sp.), ~95% confidence. Golden-yellow funnel caps with wavy ruffled margins, growing scattered from soil in grass/leaf litter near oaks. Confirmed by underside: thick blunt forked ridges (false gills) running down the stem — not knife-blade gills — and solid fibrous cream stem. Rules out jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus) and false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca), both of which have true gills. Still: nothing gets eaten off a photo alone; confirm each mushroom before eating, and cook thoroughly.
Habitat: damp grassy woodland edge after rain, August 2026. Location: left side of the property, near the creek. Chanterelles often re-fruit in the same spot year after year — worth checking this patch after rains in future seasons.
Photo Gallery
Patch view
Close-up
Underside (false gills)
Underside (decurrent ridges)

Mushroom Finds - September 2026
September 2026 - Two bracket fungi by the workshop
Erin photographed two clusters on opposite sides of the driveway near the workshop. Photo-confirmed sightings on the property - no mushroom should be eaten based only on a photo. IDs are guesses from photos alone; confirm with a field guide / spore print / local expert before ever considering edibility.
Reishi (Ganoderma sp.) - on rough-barked tree trunk by workshop
ID: Reishi / woody bracket (~Ganoderma lucidum / resinaceum complex; possibly tsugae if on hemlock)
Look: glossy/lacquered caps, zoned, deep red-brown center fading to cream/white growing margin; overlapping shelves
Texture: hard, corky, woody - NOT fleshy
NOT chicken of the woods (that's sulfur-yellow/orange, soft, fleshy)
Edible? No culinary use (woody). Medicinal (tea/tincture). Not a dinner mushroom.
Note: confirmed genus by glossy woody top; exact species needs underside + host tree + spore print for anything you'd consume.
Velvet-top / dye polypore (Phaeolus schweinitzii) - base of conifer, other side of driveway
ID: Likely Phaeolus schweinitzii (velvet-top / dyer's polypore)
Look: large dark-brown shelf bracket, matte/dry/velvety, irregular lobed surface, growing at root/butt of a pine (surrounded by pine needles, pine cone)
Texture: tough, fibrous; fresh spec softer, gets brittle
Causes: brown cubical butt rot in conifers
Edible? No / inedible.
Note: can be used to dye wool. Pore surface yellow-brown, bruises darker.
Log conventions
Add date, location on property, top-photo ID, and texture/edibility.
Sugary/savory mis-ID watch: chicken of the woods = bright yellow/orange + fleshy; the two above are woody brackets, neither is it.