Foraging for Maitake aka Hen of the Woods aka Grifola Frondosa aka Sheep’s Head?
A 12 lb. Maitake specimen encompasses a fallen limb during growth.
Most mycophiles/fungiphiles recognize the wild specimen to have the optimized flavor compared to mushrooms cultivated indoors. These large specimens draw out hunters through all four seasons. The notorious Maitake aka Hen of the Woods aka Grifola Frondosa aka Sheep’s Head is a delicious, polysaccharide concentrated, fungus which generally pops out in late fall. Ideal temperatures for pinning (baby mushrooms) to form are 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit followed by a spike in temperature to 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. In my region, the Midwest, it is best to start looking for wild Maitake in the late fall. This past year I was blessed to harvest approximately 50 lbs. of wild hens.
The concentrated polysaccharide, ‘Grifolan’, has been attributed to this species’ ability to drop blood sugar levels in those who choose to consume. The presence of this saccharide points to the lesser-known name- Grifola Frondosa- my personal favorite. The ‘frond’ in ‘Frondosa’ refers to the thallus of a Maitake looking like a fern. The Maitake fruit body is indeed like none-other it’s deeply folded and stag-like with layers and layers of lacy ‘leaflets’ jutting out- just like a fern.
When setting out in search of wild specimens look for oak stumps and then circle the stump especially those in well shaded areas on higher plains. These mushrooms develop well in high CO2 areas which is why they are often found next to decaying oak stumps which generate large amounts of carbon dioxide. Unlike a Lion’s Mane which positions itself high in the tree to avoid high CO2 levels and receive high fresh air exchanges- the maitake positions itself low to the ground where heavy carbon dioxide falls through oxygen gas and stagnates.
The large specimen pictured above was actually found between two LIVE trees and was the only specimen I found last fall to be positioned beside a living tree. When walking through the southern Indiana hills I like to position myself mid-way down the ravine. This way, if I note a stump below me I can do a quick circle around it and move on. If I see a stump above me I can do the same.
Come this fall, wait for a temperature drop followed by a large rain. Then, after two days of sun- hit the hills. And yes, you can bet I cloned this specimen! I am currently on my fourth generation malt agar plate. As less than 10% of wild maitake are known to fruit in the indoor cultivation chamber there’s a bit of a mystery moving forward with an attempted fruiting process.
