Choice Edible
Bear's head
Hericium abietis
Also known as: Bear's head
Botanical Overview
Hericium abietis, commonly known as the bear's head or the western coral hedgehog, is an edible mushroom in the tooth fungus group. It grows on conifer stumps or logs in North America, producing a cream white fruit body up to 10–75 cm (4–30 in) tall and wide. It fruits from after the start of the fall rains to mid-season.
Foraging Safety · Hazard Watch
Similar & Confusing Lookalikes
Never harvest or eat wild mushrooms based on photos alone. Always cross-check against these similar lookalikes:
Lookalike
Hericium americanum
Hericium americanum
Lookalike
Hericium coralloides
Hericium coralloides
Lookalike
Hericium erinaceus
Hericium erinaceus
Lookalike
Hericium clathroides
Hericium clathroides
Classification
Scientific Taxonomy
Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Basidiomycota
Class Agaricomycetes
Order Russulales
Family Hericiaceae
Genus Hericium
Safety Notice: Never consume any wild mushroom based exclusively on photographs or app identification. Many deadly poisonous species (such as Amanita phalloides) closely mimic edible varieties. Always verify your specimen in person with a certified expert mycologist.
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