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Once again found a fungi growing on birch and I'm not entirely sure what it is. It looks quite like the chaga fungi but I'm really not too sure! I have seen chaga in some videos before and it seemed much darker but I don't know anything else it might be. The log was on the ground and quite damp.

Yes it is in lowland scotland, the same general area as my previous question! I had a look around to see what else I could find and this is what I found. It wasn't the same tree, maybe about 40 meters from that one.

perhaps chaga?

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    What is the location?
    – Martin Hügi
    Jun 19, 2017 at 18:14
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    Hi eternalNoob! I too would like to know the location. Is it in lowland Scotland like your previous question? By any chance is this the same group of birches, or even the same tree, as that question?
    – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
    Jun 19, 2017 at 18:38
  • It doesn't quite look the same as the pictures found on Google of chaga fungus. Images on google show that Chaga is darker, almost as if it was burned.
    – Timmy Jim
    Jun 20, 2017 at 13:40
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    I felt so too but I thought perhaps it was young chaga and it darkens with age? Still not sure what else it might be
    – eternalNoob
    Jun 20, 2017 at 23:01
  • Are these attached to the tree, or pushing out from inside? Some sites say Chaga forms inside the tree and as it grows it pushes out. If it's attached like some other polypores, it's less likely to be a Chaga. As @TimmyJim said, Chaga is dark and looks like bark. It's easily confused with a burl. All sites I've found also say that. Researching it's life-cycle, I couldn't find a phase that looks like this. Chaga does grow in Scotland though, so there's hope! I'm searching look-alikes and other birch mushrooms found in Scotland. I hope someone gets this!
    – Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
    Jun 20, 2017 at 23:57

1 Answer 1

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Chaga is parasitic and grows exclusively on living trees.

The tree you have pictured appears to be rotting. Additionally, the mushrooms on that tree have a clear top and bottom. Although the coloration is similar, the picture above does not appear to be Chaga.

I will, however, do some research to see if I can find what fungus in fact is growing.

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  • Given the fact that the fungus does seem to have a top/bottom, but one which does not correlate with up/down, it seems reasonable to assume that it was growing on the tree before it fell. Just a thought.
    – fgysin
    Jul 16, 2020 at 5:38

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