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Flat artist's conk bracket with a white pore underside
Not a food mushroombeginner-friendly group

Artist's Conk

Ganoderma applanatum

A large, woody, perennial bracket with a dull crusty top and a white pore surface that bruises brown when scratched.

Photo: Michael Nerrie, CC BY
Compiled by Mushroom Forage Map field deskExpert review pendingContent checked
Identification warning

Woody and not a food mushroom.

Season
Year-round; perennial
Habitat
Dead and living hardwoods, occasionally conifers
Underside
White pore surface that turns dark brown when scratched
Spore evidence
Brown

Where it grows

Tracked records and known growing zone

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Squares: where people recorded it, brighter where more people did
Verified records
12,627
People who recorded it
6,522
Most records (northern hemisphere)
Jun–Oct
Records span
1970–2026

Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.

Observation season

When field records occur

Choose a hemisphere · All recorded years; not a current forecast.

Choose the hemisphere you want to study. Country detection is approximate and some countries span the equator.

Compare before concluding

Lookalikes to rule out

Tinder fungus is hoof-shaped and gray with a brown pore surface.

Red-belted conks

harmless

Fomitopsis have a resinous red band near the edge.

Identification

The bracket is flat to hoof-shaped and can be enormous. The top is dull gray-brown and crusty, often dusted brown with its own spores. The underside is a bright white pore surface that turns dark brown instantly when scratched. New pore layers grow each year.

Uses and ecology

Artist's conk causes white rot and can live for many years on one tree. Artists scratch drawings into the fresh white pore surface, which dry permanently.

Memorable fact

A single conk can release trillions of spores in a season, dusting the top of the bracket and nearby leaves brown.

Sources

Never eat a mushroom from this page alone

Confirm identity using the whole specimen, multiple reputable sources, and a qualified local expert. Identified edible species still require appropriate preparation. Cooking does not make a poisonous mushroom safe.

Safety and poison response
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