Lion's Mane Mushroom Lookalikes: Picking the Right Mushroom
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Learn about lion’s mane mushroom lookalikes and how to identify them while foraging. Learn what to look out for while picking a lion’s mane supplement.
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Did you know that the scientific name of the lion’s mane mushroom, Hericium erinaceus, literally translates to hedgehog in Latin?

This is because it’s thought to look like a faceless hedgehog.

Perhaps you might think this mushroom looks more like a lion’s mane, as it’s commonly referred to. Or do you think it looks more like a beard or a monkey head, which are all synonymous with Hericium erinaceus?

If you’re wondering, “Is there a wild poisonous lion’s mane mushroom?” Today, we’ll answer your question, delve deeper into the unique characteristics of lion’s mane, and explain how there’s more to this fungi than the brain-supporting properties it’s known for. We’ll also explore:

Lion’s mane mushroom lookalikes

How to identify lion’s mane mushrooms while foraging

Other sources for acquiring lion’s mane

How to pick the right lion’s mane supplement for the first time

Two Lion’s Mane Mushroom Lookalikes

As mentioned earlier, Hericium means hedgehog in Latin. Hericium species, including the lion’s mane, have icicle-like structures resembling a hedgehog’s spines, making them easy to misidentify.

Other Hericium mushrooms in the Hericium genus include:

Hericium americanum (Bear's head tooth)

Hericium coralloides (Coral tooth fungus)

Features of Hericium Americanum - Bear's Head Tooth

The bear’s head tooth fungus grows on living or dead hardwood species and softwood trees as well.

Hericium americanum (Bear’s head tooth) has the following main features:

Clusters of branches bearing spines

Spines look like dripping candle wax

Up to a 12-inch wide fruiting body

Spines are between 1–4” long

It’s white when fresh but turns yellow as it ages.

Features of Hericium Coralloides - Coral Tooth

This mushroom is also known as the coral tooth fungus and resembles a branched hard coral—hence the name.

Hericium coralloides wild mushrooms have the following features:

Grows on hardwood species such as oak, silver maple, and sugar maple trees

White when fresh but turns tan as it matures

Fruiting body has multiple irregularly shaped branches of varying lengths

Branches fork off from the stem and from other branches

Short spines averaging ⅓” long grow from the branches

Now that we’ve learned about the two lion’s mane mushroom lookalikes, let’s explore proper identification techniques for lion’s mane and what distinguishes it from these doppelgangers.

Identifying Lion’s Mane Mushrooms in the Wild

The lion’s mane mushroom grows on decaying or live deciduous and hardwood trees and can also be found on beech and oak trees. It appears widely throughout North America, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

You can find lion’s mane mushrooms on fallen logs—including dying hardwood trees—or much higher on a living tree’s trunk. It's a cool-weather mushroom and can be found in late summer and fall in North America or in winter and spring in warmer climates.

This Hericium species has the following characteristics:

White while fresh but turns yellow as it matures

Large fruiting body of up to 16 inches in diameter

Rounded mass of icicle-like spines

Long spines of up to 2 inches long

When harvesting Lion’s Mane, look for these characteristics: It grows on hardwood trees and has a round mass of icicle-like spines.

Other Names for Lion’s Mane Wild Mushrooms

Let’s now look at how all the other common names for H. eracineus describe its features.

Lion’s mane mushroom: While growing, its long spines look shaggy and resemble a lion’s mane.

Monkey head mushroom: Its large fruiting body and hair-like structures bundled together look like a monkey’s head. Something to keep in mind when mushroom foraging.

Bearded tooth mushroom: The lion’s mane mushroom spines are also referred to as teeth, a mushroom structure unique to Hericiums. Bundled together, the teeth, which are longer than 1 inch, look like an old man’s beard.

Faceless hedgehog: When the lion’s mane mushroom is young, it is shaped like a snowball, and its spines are relatively short. When foraging lion’s mane, know that it looks like a faceless hedgehog at this stage.

Pom pom mushroom: The round, shaggy look of lion’s mane resembles a cheerleader’s pom poms.

Key Distinguishing Characteristics and Differences Between Lion’s Mane Mushroom Lookalikes

If you’re foraging Lion’s Mane, its key identifying feature is its snowball-like shape, from which the spines emanate.

Both H. americanum and H. coralloides spines grow from branches that emerge from the stem or other branches. But, H. erinaceus doesn't branch and its spines hang from a central stalk.

The following table highlights the differences between a lion’s mane mushroom and its lookalikes to help you differentiate between them when mushroom foraging.

Expert tip: Though the genus name Hericium means hedgehog in Latin, only lion’s mane (H.erinaceus) is referred to as hedgehog mushrooms.

Note: There's a completely separate mushroom known as the hedgehog mushroom that has a cap-and-stem mushroom shape with “teeth” instead of gills on its underside. However, this mushroom isn't in the same family as the Hericium. It belongs to the Hydnaceae family instead. As a cousin of chanterelle mushrooms, it is likewise a delicious edible mushroom.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Lookalikes Health Benefits

Fortunately, none of the lion’s mane mushrooms lookalikes are poisonous.

These three species in the Hericium genus are edible and can be used for culinary purposes.

Nutritional Profile of Lion’s Mane and Its Lookalikes

Lion’s mane mushrooms are not only delicious but also have a rich nutritional profile, which makes them an ideal culinary mushroom.

Most people claim they have an earthy taste with a hint of seafood flavor, but apart from taste, what really matters is their nutritional value.

Like the other culinary functional mushrooms, such as shiitake and maitake, lion’s mane is an ideal source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients essential for a healthy diet [1].

Comparative to lion’s mane mushroom (H. erinaceus), there is little research on the nutritional and functional properties of its lookalikes, H. coralloides and H. americanum. One exception concerns the antioxidant properties of these mushrooms. There is more than one study that confirms the high antioxidant content of H. coralloides and H. americanum [5,6]. In fact, one study found that H. coralloides has even higher levels of antioxidants than lion’s mane.

However, lion’s mane mushroom is a mushroom that has been extensively cultivated, so it is the Hericium mushroom that you can find and buy most easily. Take advantage of the accessibility of lion’s mane to tap into this rich source of antioxidants and nutrients.

Brain-Supporting Properties of Hericium Mushrooms

Hericium mushrooms also contain compounds known as hericenones and erinacines [2]. The lion’s mane mushroom has been used extensively to study these compounds.

Studied effects of hericenones and erinacines:

Protect your body’s nerves and neurons [2]

Support healthy memory function

Shield your brain from the normal cognitive decline [3]

Support a positive mood and relieve oxidative stress [3]

So, are these lion’s mane mushroom benefits from the hericenones and erinacines interchangeable with the other mushrooms in the Hericium genus? There is very little research yet to guarantee that this is true.

However, one study identified compounds unique to H. coralloides that appear to have qualities that induce nerve growth and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [4]. The compounds in lion’s mane are similar and induce the same kinds of effects. Both these mushrooms’ compounds have implications for supporting brain and nervous system health. The study’s findings further support Hericium as a mushroom genus with brain-boosting properties.

Sources of Fresh Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Fortunately, foraging is not the only way to get fresh lion’s mane mushrooms because they are sold in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. You, however, have to ensure you buy organic mushrooms.

Mushrooms are very absorbent and will soak in pesticides and pollutants when grown inorganically. These chemicals are almost impossible to wash off once absorbed by the fungus, and you might end up ingesting them in your cooked lion’s mane mushrooms.

To ensure you buy organic fresh lion’s mane mushrooms, check food markets that sell organic foods.

If you’re in the United States, ensure that the mushroom packaging has an organic seal from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This proves that the mushrooms are organically farmed, have passed inspection, and were grown using natural processes.

If you can’t find fresh lion’s mane from grocery stores in your area, consider growing your own. You can easily order lion’s mane mushroom growing kits online.

Cooked vs. Extracted: Best Way to Take Lion’s Mane Mushroom

While adding fresh mushrooms to your diet is a good way to get their nutritional benefits, you won’t get all of the lion’s mane mushroom health benefits this way. Your body can’t absorb most of the active compounds from the cooked mushrooms.

Active compounds such as hericenones, erinacines, and beta-glucans are responsible for most of the lion’s mane mushroom health benefits, like its brain-boosting traits.

These compounds must be extracted using specific mushroom extraction processes suitable for lion’s mane.

Extract powders have a higher bioavailability of active compounds, which means your body gets all the benefits of these functional mushrooms.

However, you should exercise extra caution when buying a lion’s mane supplement since not all supplements are equal.

Some are made from non-organic mushrooms, while others are made from mycelium (the “root system” of the mushroom). Using a mycelium-based supplement means you get more starch than health-benefiting compounds.

Consider the following while picking a lion’s mane supplement for the first time:

Is the supplement made from the mushroom (fruiting body)?

Does the product label indicate a beta-glucan content of at least 15%?

Are the supplements extracted using hot-water extraction?

Is the supplement organic and tested for purity?

This buying guide for lion's mane mushroom powder extracts provides more details on why each of the above factors is crucial. Following it will ensure you get a lion's mane powder extract that has the beneficial compounds you require to reap the lion's mane's broader health advantages.

Boost Your Mental Focus and Clarity With Real Mushrooms’ Lion’s Mane Supplements

Real Mushrooms provides Organic Lion’s Mane Extracts in powder and capsule form, from 100% real mushrooms (fruiting bodies).

After harvesting lion's mane, we use the hot water extraction method to ensure our supplements have a high beta-glucan content of more than 25%. Beta-glucans are the primary compounds in mushrooms that account for most of their health benefits.

These qualities make our supplements the best on the market and efficient in boosting overall brain power, mental focus, and clarity.

Order your first bottle of the Organic Lion’s Mane Extract Capsules and enhance your brain power and memory.

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Cooking Lion's Mane Mushroom: Tips, Techniques & Recipes

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