fungus · The Trophy Room
Cauliflower Mushroom
A creamy, ruffled mass that looks exactly like a head of cauliflower someone left at the foot of a fir tree. The western cauliflower mushroom is one of the great beginner finds — big, distinctive, nothing toxic looks anything like it, and it fruits in the same spot year after year.
Identifying
- a rosette of flat, wavy, egg-noodle-like ribbons, cream to pale yellow
- grows from a rooted base at the foot of conifers, on roots or buried wood
- firm and springy when fresh; a single head can weigh several pounds
- no gills, no pores — just the ruffled folded lobes
Facts
- absorbs flavor like a sponge and holds a pleasant crunch even after long cooking
- clean it carefully — the folds trap needles and grit, so it wants a patient rinse
- a parasite of conifer roots; a producing tree can hand you a cauliflower every autumn for years
