Honey mushroom vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
Honey mushrooms have a ring, white gills and white flesh. Jack-o'-lanterns have no ring, sharp orange gills and orange flesh.
Chicken of the woods vs jack-o'-lantern: how to tell them apart
Quick answer
Chicken of the woods is a set of flat shelves with a sulfur-yellow pore surface underneath and no gills or stems; a jack-o'-lantern is a cluster of capped mushrooms on stems, with sharp, crowded orange gills running down each stem. If it has gills, it is not chicken of the woods.
Toxic lookalike
The jack-o'-lantern is toxic.
Unlike chicken of the woods, the jack-o'-lantern (Omphalotus illudens) is poisonous. The Bay Area Mycological Society names illudins M and S as the main toxins in Omphalotus and describes a rapid onset of serious gastrointestinal symptoms, sometimes lasting several days. Tom Volk records severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, and the Missouri Department of Conservation notes that it is not life-threatening to healthy adults.
If someone has eaten a wild mushroom and feels unwell, or may have eaten one of these, call poison control now: 1-800-222-1222 in the US. Do not wait for symptoms.
Side by side
The tell for each
Edible
The tellOverlapping orange shelves on wood with a bright sulfur-yellow pore surface underneath.
Toxic lookalike
The tellBright orange clusters on wood with sharp true gills and orange flesh.
How they differ
| Feature | Chicken of the Woods | Jack-o'-Lantern |
|---|---|---|
| Underside | Chicken of the WoodsSulfur-yellow surface of tiny pores, no gills. | Jack-o'-LanternSharp, crowded orange true gills running down the stem. |
| Form | Chicken of the WoodsOverlapping flat shelves or a rosette attached directly to the wood. | Jack-o'-LanternA cluster of separate caps, each on its own stem, with stems often fused at the base. |
| Stem | Chicken of the WoodsNone. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange, 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) tall, tapering toward the base. |
| Top color | Chicken of the WoodsOrange to salmon-orange, often with a yellow edge, fading with age. | Jack-o'-LanternBright orange to yellow-orange and smooth, often with a small central knob. |
| Where it grows | Chicken of the WoodsOn standing or fallen hardwood trunks, stumps and logs, especially oak, often well above the ground. | Jack-o'-LanternAt the base of hardwoods, on stumps and from buried roots, so clusters can seem to grow from soil. |
| Flesh | Chicken of the WoodsSoft, pale yellow to whitish when young. | Jack-o'-LanternOrange to pale orange throughout, including the stem. |
FAQ
Common questions
Is the jack-o'-lantern mushroom poisonous?
Yes. It causes severe cramps, vomiting and diarrhea that can last a few days. It is not recorded as deadly to healthy adults.
Does chicken of the woods have gills?
No. Its underside is a sulfur-yellow surface of tiny pores. An orange mushroom with gills on a stump is not chicken of the woods.
Does the jack-o'-lantern glow in the dark?
Fresh gills can give off a faint greenish glow in a dark room. The glow is faint and not seen in every specimen, so it is not a dependable test.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Laetiporus sulphureus
MushroomExpert.com
- Omphalotus illudens
MushroomExpert.com
- Jack-o'-Lantern
Missouri Department of Conservation
- Toxic Mushrooms
Bay Area Mycological Society
Keep checking
Read both pages in full
- More on the chicken of the woods
- More on the jack-o'-lantern
- Not sure it is either? Narrow it down with the identification key
This page states what field guides record. It is not advice to eat, taste or handle anything, and a photo cannot settle edibility. If someone has eaten a wild mushroom that may be toxic, call poison control (1-800-222-1222 in the US) right away, before symptoms start: the deadliest species act hours later.
More comparisons
Chicken of the woods vs lobster mushroom
Chicken of the woods grows as orange shelves on wood with yellow pores. The lobster mushroom is a single crusted mushroom on the ground.
Cinnabar chanterelle vs jack-o'-lantern
- Toxic: Jack-o'-Lantern
The cinnabar chanterelle is small, red and grows alone on soil with forked false gills. Jack-o'-lanterns are large, orange and clustered on wood.
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