Lily Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 I've heard of Cauliflower / Sparassis mushrooms a lot in China. Some call Cauliflower mushroom a sunshine lover. According to Chinese people the Cauliflower mushroom is The king of mushrooms who loves the sunshine. I've never seen any Cauliflower mushroom in my mushrooms hunting experience. I'd like to find some of it my own if it grows in PA. Photo from internet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCn15 Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 I have been on forays where these have been found and then cooked after and they are very tasty. Sadly, I had to travel a long distance to this foray and don't think we have them in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis) is found in Pennsylvania. There's more than one species that grows in eastern NA http://www.mushroomexpert.com/sparassis_spathulata.html Personally, I haven't had much success finding these. But I know people in my area --NE PA-- who find them. They prefer oak woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCn15 Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 18 minutes ago, Dave W said: Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis) is found in Pennsylvania. There's more than one species that grows in eastern NA http://www.mushroomexpert.com/sparassis_spathulata.html Personally, I haven't had much success finding these. But I know people in my area --NE PA-- who find them. They prefer oak woods. I joined an organized foray in Michigan one time where one was found. The leader of the foray called it a 100 mile mushroom. You have to walk a 100 miles before you find one. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staveshaver Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 I live in Western Pa and have found 3 of them in the last few years... none bigger than a cantaloupe. Two were growing on opposite sides of a young pin oak, and the one i found this fall was under shingle oaks. I found them all in the fall while I was hunting Maitake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitog Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 The western species, Sparassis radicata, is relatively common, but not abundant where I live: southwestern Canada. It is very similar to S. crispa and has only recently been differentiated on the basis of genetics. I don't think that they have much flavor, but their texture is interesting; so I regularly check only a few spots where they have come up near some more interesting mushrooms in my GPS database. All of the ones that I've found have been at the base of either a pine tree or Douglas-Fir. Here's a couple of photos of the same spot in an area where I look for Hedgehogs. The first was found this year on Oct 26 and was just the right size to barely fit in my 6 liter picking pail. The knife handle is about 3.5 inches long. The second photo shows the same location on Nov 16, 2013, with my dirty, old day pack for scale. The larger of the two specimens was too old, but I harvested the upper one. This location didn't produce anything between 2013 and 2017, and I have never found a location that fruited in consecutive years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diana Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 I have found it here in the Tampa bay area only much smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily Posted November 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 20 hours ago, GCn15 said: Chinese people cultivate this mushrooms. I like wild ones and pick it by my own hands. http://www.canyin88.com/shicai/2016/01/36933.html 14 hours ago, Staveshaver said: I live in Western Pa and have found 3 of them in the last few years... none bigger than a cantaloupe. Two were growing on opposite sides of a young pin oak, and the one i found this fall was under shingle oaks. I found them all in the fall while I was hunting Maitake. What is the difference between pin oak, red oak, white oak ? to me, they all have big prickly leaves. I often heard oak trees host good mushrooms. I need to learn trees then. 7 hours ago, vitog said: Vitog, I thought cauliflower grow in Summer. pretty interesting! You even found them on Nov. 1 hour ago, diana said: I have found it here in the Tampa bay area only much smaller. This even better! I'm glad the cauliflower can be found in FL too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staveshaver Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 Yep, it certainly helps to be familiar with trees when shrooming. Pin oaks and red oaks have pointy, lobed leaves, while white oak leaves are lobed but rounded. Mushrooms tend to like growing near the bigger mature oaks, and the big, old reds and whites are generally shaped differently in their basic structure, i.e. how their branches grow out. The branches of the biggest whites tend to grow more horizontal than the reds, such that they can often be identified from a long, long ways off. Maitake love those big majestic white oaks around here. Departing from oaks a bit... I found a BUNCH of chanterelles under mature shagbark hickory trees this June/July, with nary an oak in sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svs Posted November 30, 2017 Report Share Posted November 30, 2017 I find those in NJ but not often. 1 or 2 per year, usually during summer but this year found one in September when hens were in season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamilleR Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I found some sprassis in August but they're different than the ones above pictured. They look like Elizabethan collars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Stave, Thanks ! I never knew there are so many different oaks!( There are 615 species of Quercus, of which 450 are from the subgenus Quercus and 188 are subgenus of Quercus.-baidu.com) When I was a child, I only knew one type oak and the the only one grew in my countryside which we picked the oak acorns to play with. Years ago, I came to here the U.S.A. One day I found some hickory nuts on the ground," You white guys are so big and tall. Why your nuts are so small?" People had no idea what was I talking about. Because I never saw hickory nuts in my life. I thought they were walnuts. 19 hours ago, svs said: I find those in NJ but not often. 1 or 2 per year, usually during summer but this year found one in September when hens were in season. Yes, they are not very productive. you are lucky! 16 hours ago, CamilleR said: I found some sprassis in August but they're different than the ones above pictured. They look like Elizabethan collars. Camiller, I also found this kind of cauliflowers a lot in my areas. But they seems to be very tough. I never picked them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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