This very rare species of unusual cauliflower mushroom is edible and even has health-promoting properties. However, in many countries it is a strictly protected species and should not be harvested.
There are many arboreal mushrooms with similar shapes, and this one is unique because it grows only on beech trees, rarely on oak.
The fruit body has an indefinite shape, it is sometimes spherical, irregular, elongated. It can reach up to 40 cm in width.
The structure of this mushroom is interesting. It consists of loose branched twigs on which needles grow about 1 cm long.
It resembles the shape of a coral, but some are associated with cauliflower.
The color of the mushroom changes over time. Young fruit bodies are snow-white in color, which over time becomes creamy, yellowish, and in old age brown.
The flesh of the mushroom is spongy, soft, pleasant to the touch in the color of a mushroom. It does not have a particularly perceptible taste or smell.
The fungus can be found only in warm periods from summer to autumn on deciduous trees, mainly beech, rarely on poplar, birch or oak.
This mushroom has healing properties, because it contains polysaccharides, a lot of metals, including iron, selenium, zinc, potassium, germanium, showing antibacterial properties.
