hen of the woods mushroom showing at base of an oak tree with moss in the foreground by nscheerer on iNaturalistnscheerer

Hen of the Woods

Hen of the Woods is one of Kingston's more-than-human neighbours, living inside the decaying heartwood of elder Oaks. Their mycelium can live inside an Oak for decades before they fruit at the base in September. These kin cards are an invitation to get to know them: who they live in relation with, their gifts, and what they're asking of us.

Hen of the Woods kin card

Hen of the Woods belongs to the white-rot fungi, the only group that degrades lignin completely and returns nitrogen, phosphorus, and minerals to the soil food web. Their mycelium softens heartwood that Pileated Woodpecker then carves into cavities used by over thirty species. Finding them at the base of an elder Oak doesn't mean that Oak is dying. Oaks can live another century with Hen of the Woods.

Hen of the Woods at the planning table

What sustains them, what they give to this place, what threatens them, and what a workable Biodiversity Action Plan looks like from where they stand. This season, this decade, this century.

Get to know Hen of the Woods Return through the seasons. Record what you observe on iNaturalist.

Notice: In September and October, look for overlapping grey-brown fans near the base of elder Oak trunks. You are meeting a mycelium that has been inside that Oak for years. How large is Oak's canopy? Are there signs of visible decay? When you find them, their fruiting body is alive with insects: how many different types do you see? Hen of the Woods fruits annually, but whether they appear and how large they are varies with soil moisture. Return each year.

Act: Protect the drip line of elder Oaks: their root zone extends 2 to 3 times beyond it. Compaction from lawnmowers, foot traffic, and vehicles damages the mycelial network. Leave the leaves: fallen leaves are where decomposition begins. Know where your soil and mulch come from: Jumping Worm cocoons travel in deliveries and are spreading across Ontario but have not reached Kingston yet. Preserve elder Oaks: an elder Oak with fruiting bodies at their base is at maximum ecological value. 

Kingston is drafting a Biodiversity Action Plan. Pin a place that matters to Hen of the Woods.

Get involved: Little Forests Kingston is growing. We're looking for people who want to build relationships with the land and tend them over time. Forest Stewards, Neighbourhood Weavers, Community Scientists, Seed Keepers and more. You don't need to arrive knowing everything. Do any of these roles call to you?