Hello Ida,

Thanks for reaching out to the UNH Extension Infoline. A little more information would be helpful here. Pictures would be even more helpful, if you could attach pictures to an email response, that would be ideal. Some of my following questions would be answered by seeing pictures of the mushrooms.

Questions I have-

What type of tree are the mushrooms growing on?

What color and size are the mushrooms?

What does the underside of the mushrooms look like?

The presence of mushrooms growing out of a tree is usually a sign that the tree is either dead or dying. There are no mushrooms in our part of the world that are poisonous to touch. It's only when you ingest some types of mushrooms that you can run into trouble. 



Hello Ida,

Thanks for sending that picture. It looks to me like a northern tooth mushroom (Climacodon septentrionalis)

Again, it's likely a sign that the tree is damaged or unhealthy. The mushrooms growing on the tree is a symptom of a tree in some state of decline, but it is not the cause of the tree's problems. Therefore, cutting off the mushrooms won't improve the tree's vitality.

If you're concerned with the health of the tree, we recommend reaching out to a certified arborist. For a list of certified arborists, please see the NH Arborists Association website.