There’s a reason why Turkey Tail mushrooms are some of the most widely studied and globally-popular medicinal mushrooms. While today Turkey Tail often seems overshadowed by the growing fame of mushrooms like Cordyceps and Lion’s Mane, it’s a fundamental mushroom in the world of natural medicines.
Turkey Tail has been used for centuries and is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today it has been deconstructed by science, vigorously studied in its chemistry, tested for biological activity, and placed through numerous clinical trials.
It’s hard not to over-emphasize how important this mushroom is in the world of medicinal mushrooms. It’s the first medicinal mushroom many of us heard about, decades before medicinal mushrooms rose in popularity. Active compounds from Turkey Tail have the stamp of approval by many healthcare agencies and are even fully insured medications in places like Japan. Statistically, Turkey Tail mushrooms have likely improved health and probably even extended the lives of thousands of individuals.
Natural History Of Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Turkey Tail is a type of polypore mushroom that often grows on dead branches and stumps of hardwood trees. It’s a thin, rubbery, and semicircular mushroom with sometimes colorful striations on the upper surface. It is usually only 3-6 cm in width and forms longitudinal clusters and sometimes flower-like rosettes.
The color of striations on the upper surface can greatly vary in color, hence the species name Trametes versicolor. These colors range from grey, brown, white, purple, yellow, and even have touches of red. This surface is also slightly fuzzy or velvety.
Turkey Tail is a cosmopolitan species occurring in almost all forested parts of the world. It has morphological diversity across its range and probably distinct genetic lineages as well. There is a lot of research still needed to fully understand its true taxonomic identity and diversity, particularly in tropical regions. At least over 100 varieties of Turkey Tail are cultivated, some have been shown to be particularly medicinal.
Scientists from China often use the name Coriolus versicolor for Turkey Tail and a complete taxonomic agreement on the name has not been made.
Turkey Tail Look-Alikes
Turkey Tail does have lookalikes. In fact, several mushrooms bear the name “false-turkey tail” due to their resemblance. The most common of these is a mushroom called Stereum ostrea which is a similarly thin and rubbery polypore mushroom. It can be easily differentiated because it’s completely smooth, bearing no fuzz on the upper surface and the underside has no visible pores.
There may be other lookalikes in your region, so confirming with a local expert may be your best bet. Thankfully, no lookalike is poisonous or has been known to have toxic effects.
Distribution, Habitat, and Season Of Turkey Tail Mushrooms
- Distribution: Turkey Tail mushrooms can occur almost anywhere there’s a tree for them to grow on. They are most abundant in temperate hardwood forests but have been reported in many different ecosystems and hosts.
- Habitat: Turkey Tail mushrooms primarily grow on dead and decomposing logs, stumps, or trunks. In particular, they love hardwood tree species and tend to favor oak. Yet, Turkey Tail can grow on countless different host trees including but not limited to Maple, Sycamore, Eucalyptus, Apple, Plum, Beech, Birch, and others. They have been reported from conifers as well. Looking for adequate areas with sufficient moisture and shade for proper fungal growth can be a plus, although they can also grow in pretty exposed locations.
- Season: Turkey Tail can be found year-round. During the rainy season, or whenever there is adequate moisture, Turkey Tail mushrooms will fruit. In the dry season, the fruiting bodies will dehydrate naturally and be preserved on the wood. They can harbor molds and algae on their tissues or become consumed by insects over time. Old and infected mushrooms are not recommended for preparing medicine.
History Of Turkey Tail Mushrooms
The oldest record of Turkey Tail Mushrooms dates back to the original Chinese Materia Medica published 2000 years ago. It is mentioned in the Compendium of Chinese Materia Medica by Li Shi Zhen later in 1578, where over 120 varieties of “Yunzhi” or Turkey Tail are mentioned, although the taxonomic inclusion of these is not known. The traditional name “Yunzhi” translates to something like “Cloud Mushroom”, possibly because of the wavy cloud-like rings seen on some specimens.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Turkey Tail is said to be sweet and bland in taste. It is slightly cold and belongs to the liver, spleen, and lung meridians. It invigorates the spleen, removes dampness, relieves caught asthma, and stimulates immunity.
Like a few other Medicinal Mushrooms, Turkey Tail was something prestigious and partially mythified in the culture. A medical text by author Lu Zhiyi from the 17th has particularly colorful language about the “Five Colored Divine Lucidum” thought by some scholars to be Turkey Tail.
Its translation reads, “Mountains, rivers, clouds and rain, the essence of yin and yang in the four seasons and five elements, give birth to the five-colored divine lucidum”. It also says “Mushroom Zhi grows on the deep mountains and big trees, on the side of the deep spring, with five colors and tasteless, or like the shape of dragons and tigers”
In these traditions, Turkey Tail is highly valued for its nontoxic properties that can be taken regularly as a tonic to improve health, slow aging, and “keep your body light”. Just like the Reishi mushroom, these medicines were not only useful to treat specific ailments, but they enhanced overall vitality, health, and invigorated your youth.
Turkey Tail As Medicine: Uses, Active Compounds, and Research
Today Turkey Tail has been thoroughly studied using modern science, technology, and clinical trials. Scientific research on the medicinal properties of this mushroom started in the 1970s, particularly looking into its anticancer abilities. In Japan, it has been used widely alongside conventional cancer therapy and has been approved as a natural medical treatment since the 1980s.
Polysaccharides within Turkey Tail mushrooms have been shown to have significant bioactive properties. These not only have cytotoxic effects against cancer cells, but they also have positive effects on the immune system. For this reason, Turkey Tail is popular as an immune booster used to help prevent sickness and disease.
Aside from these two uses, Turkey Tails has also been shown to have various other uses. This i