Lion's-mane Mushroom
CR

Lion's-mane Mushroom

Hericium erinaceus

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus

Overview

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.

Threat summary

Habitat

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,...

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Hericiaceae

Coral Tooth FungusCR

Coral Tooth Fungus

Hericium coralloides

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Lion's-mane Mushroom classified as Critically Endangered?
Lion's-mane Mushroom is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. 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.
Where does Lion's-mane Mushroom live?
Lion's-mane Mushroom occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Lion's-mane Mushroom?
The main threats to Lion's-mane Mushroom are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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