Oyster Mushroom
Latin name : Pleurotus spp.
Hul'qumi'num : kwumsuli'qw (mushroom)
All true oysters under the genus Pleurotus are edible and in the Salish area you would be likely to find P. ostreatus or P. pulmonarius.
Description: The oyster mushroom arranges itself as shelves growing off dead trees, usually deciduous, Red Alder (Alnus rubra) being the most common host in the Salish area environments. The caps can range in color from white to pink to grey to brown, but if they are old they tend to turn yellow. Their shape entirely depends on how they grow of the wood, I've observed fruiting bodies form complete disks, but mostly you will see them in sort of half disks with rounded edges. The top of the mushroom is smooth to the edge of the mushroom (margin) which is turned down until it expands. As this mushroom ages, its round disk will turn into a frill. Their gills are densely stocked and white, they run down towards the mushroom towards the stem or where there should be a stem, it is common for oyster mushrooms to not have a stem. Generally, like their name, oyster mushrooms will resemble the ocean’s oysters.
Harvest and sustainability: As mentioned above, look for deciduous forests, especially alder forests. Favorable conditions for oysters consist of mild but cool temperatures with ample moisture, usually in the spring and fall, although they can be found in mild winters. In the wet seasons, oysters can quickly become waterlogged or buggy, meaning it is important to give them time to fruit after the last hard rain but not to wait too long. If you find a log supporting young oysters, it can sometimes be beneficial to wait for them to develop further for a greater yield.
When you find your flush of oysters cut them as close as you can to the tree. As soon as oysters open they are dropping their spores, but try to collect the most mature ones to let smaller ones develop and drop more spores. Like all mushrooms, it is best to collect them in large pored fabric bags or baskets that help spread their spores as you walk through the forest.
Because of where and how they grow, oyster mushrooms don't require much cleaning apart from blowing off the occasional bug. While storing oysters, they tend to dry out because of their structure, they can be kept in plastic to prevent this but it is best to eat oysters within a couple of days from picking them and go back for more.
As always only take what you will use, share with the other organisms that rely on this food source.
Uses: Oysters are wonderful in cooking.
Look-alikes: Angle wings (Pleurocybella porrigens) share a close resemblance to oysters. They are however smaller, less fleshy, and in my experience more white. Their most distinguishing characteristic is that they grow on conifers. Oysters can grow on conifer too however this is not as common as it is for angel wings. Angle wings are edible but have caused death for people with pre-existing liver and kidney problems. I would not recommend eating them as a beginner mushroom forager.
