Beefsteak fungus (Fistulina hepatica) — red fleshy bracket on an oak
Edible

Beefsteak fungus

Fistulina hepatica

Photo: Jiří Berkovec · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Habitat
Living oaks and chestnuts, wounds and bases; parasitic bracket.
Season
August–October
Verified
July 27, 2025

Identification

A red fleshy bracket on oak, moist, weeping red juice; underside — separate tubes, not gills.

Edibility

Edible — sourish, meaty texture; sliced thin and cooked. A "shock value" edible that is safe when recognized.

In practice

  • Red flesh + oak + red juice = beefsteak fungus; nothing poisonous mimics it well.
#edible#wood-decay

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Fistulina hepatica
  2. First Nature: Fistulina hepatica
  3. MushroomExpert.Com (M. Kuo): Fistulina hepatica