Oyster Mushroom

Habitat: Growing on wood both upright and logs

Cap: white, cream, pale pink, to dark grey. Edge may curl inward.

Cap: Flat, concave, and convex

Underside: Pale gills, often running down stem (decurrent)

Stem: off-center or possibly non existent

Oyster mushrooms are one of the most commonly foraged mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest. Their large fruit bodies, peculiar appearance, and long growing season make them a favorite for many including beginners.

What to look for

  • Pale, pinkish, to dark brown in color
  • Growing typically on hardwoods like alder, cottonwood, and aspen in our region

  • Growing shelflike on wood
  • Decurrent gills
  • Short, off-center, or nonexistent stem
  • Light colored gills when young

Other noteworthy characteristics

  • White, faintly yellowish, or lilac colored spores
  • May smell slightly sweet or of anise or black licorice

Velvet-footed Tap (Tapinella atrotomentosa)

  • Found on conifer wood
  • Velvety base of stipe
  • Stipe is more prominent than that of most oysters

PNW Oyster Species

Oyster

Pleurotus ostreatus

Summer Oyster

Pleurotus pulminarius

Aspen Oyster

Pleurotus populinus

Veiled Oyster

Pleurotus dryinus

Similar to Oyster

Velvet-Footed Tap

Tapinella atrotomentosa

Angel Wings

Pleurocybella porrigens

Late Oyster

Sarcomyxa serotina

Lilac Oysterling

Panus conchotus

photo credit CC-BY LJ Moore-McClelland

Additional Reading

Mushroom Expert
Danny Miller’s Pictorial Key

References:
Kuo, M. (2017, December). Pleurotus ostreatus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_ostreatus.html