Lion's-mane Mushroom
Hericium erinaceus
Hericium erinaceus, commonly known as lion's mane, yamabushitake, bearded tooth fungus, or bearded hedgehog, is a species of tooth fungus. It tends to grow in a single clump with dangling spines longer than 1 centimetre.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Russulales
Family
Hericiaceae
Genus
Hericium
Lion's-mane Mushroom belongs to the family Hericiaceae, order Russulales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Hericium erinaceus, commonly known as lion's mane, yamabushitake, bearded tooth fungus, or bearded hedgehog, is a species of tooth fungus. It tends to grow in a single clump with dangling spines longer than 1 centimetre. It can be mistaken for other Hericium species that grow in the same areas.
Lion's-mane Mushroom faces severe decline primarily due to widespread deforestation and habitat loss of old-growth deciduous forests where it grows on aging hardwood trees. The species is particularly vulnerable because it requires specific host trees and forest conditions that are increasingly rare due to intensive forestry practices and urban development.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
In Europe, the fruit bodies of H. erinaceus are mainly produced annually from August to November. In North America, they appear from October to February in the west, from July to October in the Mountain states, and from September to February in the east. It may be a tree parasite, possibly indicating an endophytic habitat. H. erinaceus hosts in North America include maple, ash, oaks,...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Lion's-mane Mushroom faces severe decline primarily due to widespread deforestation and habitat loss of old-growth deciduous forests where it grows on aging hardwood trees. The species is particularly vulnerable because it requires specific host trees and forest conditions that are increasingly rare due to intensive forestry practices and urban development.
Deforestation and habitat loss
Intensive forestry practices
Loss of old-growth forests
Decline of suitable host trees
Urban development and land conversion
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Lion's-mane Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/lions-mane-mushroom