Ganoderma tsugae grows exclusively on conifers, heavily preferring hamlock, and Ganoderma lucidum is supposed to grow on hardwoods (maple, oaks). Both mushrooms are virtually identical. According to the literature Ganoderma lucidum should be found in my area, but I never did. The mushroom starts to show on dead logs and distressed trees in the middle of May. It reaches maturity at the end of July.
Name
Japanese name of this mushroom is Reishi and Chinese name is Lingzhi. In Asia there are several species of Reishi, greatly different in color. Only Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma tsugae grow in North America. English names include “Glossy Ganoderma”, “Shiny Polyporus” and “Hemlock varnish shelf”.
Characteristics
- cap is up to 25cm, roughly kidney shaped; young ones have white growing band while mature mushroom is of uniform red-brown color
- pore surface is white, turning brownish with age
- pores are minuscule and hardly visible to the naked eye
- grows only on trees and logs
Edibility
There are some sources on the web claiming that growing white edge of the mushroom is edible, but I never tried it.
Ganoderma tsugae belongs to the group of most popular medicinal mushrooms on the planet. There is a lot of ongoing research but Chinese traditional medicine it is using this mushroom for thousands of years. Some good info about mushroom and tincture making can be found here.
I usually harvest several mushrooms in the middle of the growing season, dry them and prepare double extract tincture for personal use. I do believe that it does boost immune system and greatly helps in prevention of cold and flu.
Unfortunately in the recent years I noticed that in my area this mushroom is heavily over harvested.