Coral Tooth Hericium coralloides

The Coral Tooth (Hericium coralloides) is a rare and beautiful fungus, its branched, coral-like fruitbody bearing a dense covering of fine white spines that give it an unmistakable appearance. It grows on the dead or dying wood of large broadleaved trees – particularly beech – in ancient woodland and old-growth forest. Nationally very scarce, it is an indicator of long woodland continuity and the presence of large-diameter deadwood. Suffolk records are associated with the county’s ancient and semi-ancient woodlands, where veteran beech or other suitable host trees are present. Retaining large standing and fallen deadwood is essential for this species. Image: © Arthur Rivett, Flickr.

Find out more: iNaturalist, Fungi of Great Britain and Ireland