Hoof/Tinder Fungi in the south of uk?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

Hi i had a lovely bit of hoof fungi which i used for Bushcraft demo's,
sadly it burned for a few hours after i thought it had i now don't have any left.

I realise Hoof/tinder fungi is less available in the south and it grows on Beech, Birch, and Sycamore but i need some so what sort of area should i look in, by this i mean:

what sort of woodland, wet (near river/ponds), or dry

hilltops or grassland?

near the coast or inland?

sandy or muddy soil?

any hints would be very useful, cheers

.

 

[xylaria]

I have some dried lumps of artist bracket fungi going if want. It is proberly past processable for amadou, but it hold an ember, and smolders for ages and ages.
PM your address if you want some.

Horses hoof fungus grows in damp very well establish birch forests, which is why it is common in scotland where some birch forest have been there since the ice retreated 10 thousand years ago. It can be found on other trees occasionally.

 

[BorderReiver]

Hi i had a lovely bit of hoof fungi which i used for Bushcraft demo's,
sadly it burned for a few hours after i thought it had i now don't have any left.

I realise Hoof/tinder fungi is less available in the south and it grows on Beech, Birch, and Sycamore but i need some so what sort of area should i look in, by this i mean:

what sort of woodland, wet (near river/ponds), or dry

hilltops or grassland?

near the coast or inland?

sandy or muddy soil?

any hints would be very useful, cheers

.

My local wood is well stocked with the things. Birch trees growing in old swampy land seem to be ideal. The soil is shallow and a lot of trees, including oak, blow over in high winds.

Have a look round old fen land that has birch trees growing as "opportunist growth" Preferably a wood that has not had much "house keeping" done on it.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

Got a fair bit around here, could post you some?

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

wow so it does grow here!

there are some very wet birch woodlands very near to me, i shall check them out!

I'll have a look round first if i can't find any I'll pm you guy's cheers:You_Rock_
Rich

 

[BorderReiver]

wow so it does grow here!

there are some very wet birch woodlands very near to me, i shall check them out!

I'll have a look round first if i can't find any I'll pm you guy's cheers:You_Rock_
Rich

Don't forget your wellies if you're going today.

 

[Peter_t]

in sussex all we have is tones of birch polypor! never once seen horse hoof fungi ganoderma isnt uncommon but never when im looking for it

pete

 

[Melonfish]

i live in a mossland area in a town called Birchwood heh guess what there's alot of round here?
i'm off for a wander this weekend round the local birches so i'll take a look see, the winds last year knocked alot of tree's over so there should be some accessable bits knocking around. i'll let you know what i find.
pete

 

[Mike Ameling]

The white "paper" birch trees near me all tend to grow up on the hillsides instead of down in the low/wet areas. (northeast Iowa) But they also prefer those north slopes.

The "hoof" shaped fungus I can find all over the place - especially in the deep/shaded/damp parts of the woods. I often see it on poplar trees and oaks - especially the dead trees/branches that have fallen down.

But the true "tinder fungus" I have only found on LIVING paper birch trees. Scientific name innonotus obliquus. Amazing stuff. Fresh off the tree, that inside orangish/whitish center will catch and hold a spark without any prior preparation. All the other fungi need to be charred or soaked in potassium nitrate (amadou) first, but not that true tinder fungus. And it actually works better fresh off the tree than aged/dried. But even that hard/spiky black outside layer will work to feed your fire, or to catch a spark if you "char" it first.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Melonfish]

by true tinder fungus do you mean this one?
apologies for the offsite linky

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/tinder/tinderfungus/true.html
??

if so litterally tonnes of that grows round here. its all silver birch where i live and i've seen this since i was a kid all over the shop.

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, that's the one. Never seen it up here myself.

 

[inthewids]

I read somewhere the other day (but cant remember for the life of me where) that horse hoof fungus ( Fomes fomentarius ) only grows in the highland of Scotland? I will try and find where i read it.

 

[BorderReiver]

I read somewhere the other day (but cant remember for the life of me where) that horse hoof fungus ( Fomes fomentarius ) only grows in the highland of Scotland? I will try and find where i read it.

Don't bother, they are wrong.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

inthewids is not wrong or right - Its just the Scottish stuff is best

 

[inthewids]

Aha!! Found it, it says in the Collins complete guide to British animals and plants.

 

[BorderReiver]

Aha!! Found it, it says in the Collins complete guide to British animals and plants.

Ah'll no be byin that yin then.

 

[Mike Ameling]

by true tinder fungus do you mean this one?
apologies for the offsite linky

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/tinder/tinderfungus/true.html
??

if so litterally tonnes of that grows round here. its all silver birch where i live and i've seen this since i was a kid all over the shop.

Yes, that is the stuff. Innonotus Obliquus.

A common ... nickname ... for it is Bear Cr*p or S**t fungus - because it looks like a bear did that on the tree! The outside is hard/black and "spiky". The inside is orangish. That inside stuff will catch a spark from a traditional flint/steel as-is without any prior preparation. And once it catches that spark, it is almost impossible to put out. You almost have to drown it.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

wow i found some Fomes fomentarius today in the Norwich area!
both were found in damp areas near rivers, one was growing on a well rotted birch stump, the other was detatched and resting on a tree stump, i guess someone broke it off felt guilty and didn't know what to do with it.

both are damp and need serious drying!
one has obviously got a bit damper, and is green and has extra little alien like growths on it.

To say it does not grow down here is a myth, but it's taken me hours to find two pieces!
i think i need to find a better area to collect from.

 

[ocean1975]

found my first hoof fungus today in the south east of england,found it half way up a wooded hill on a beech tree.Going to dry it out and see wot happens,will it be as goood as a cramp ball?????

 

[BorderReiver]

wow i found some Fomes fomentarius today in the Norwich area!
both were found in damp areas near rivers, one was growing on a well rotted birch stump, the other was detatched and resting on a tree stump, i guess someone broke it off felt guilty and didn't know what to do with it.

both are damp and need serious drying!
one has obviously got a bit damper, and is green and has extra little alien like growths on it.

To say it does not grow down here is a myth, but it's taken me hours to find two pieces!
i think i need to find a better area to collect from.

You have an open invite to search on my patch.