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Species map · Laetiporus sulphureus

Chicken of the woods map of Turkey: where and when it grows

Our map holds 36 verified records of the chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) from 9 provinces of Turkey. Most come from İstanbul, Ankara, Kırklareli and Karabük; records peak in August, September and October.

records
36
provinces
9
regions
5
latest record
Jun 2026

How to identify the chicken of the woods

Points are GBIF and iNaturalist records, each linking to its own record. Locations of protected species are rounded. Open on the main map →

Records by province

  • Marmara 23
  • Central Anatolia 8
  • Black Sea 3
  • Aegean 1
  • Mediterranean 1

Linked provinces have their own page with every species recorded there. Record density also reflects where observers work.

Which months?

Records by month
JanFebMar1AprMay2Jun2JulAug5Sep11Oct11Nov2Dec2

This page covers only where and when the species is recorded in Turkey. For identification and edibility, see the species page. Built from research-grade, geo-referenced GBIF and iNaturalist records, refreshed at the start of every month.

Poisonous look-alikes of the chicken of the woods

Records by region: Marmara 23; Central Anatolia 8; Black Sea 3; Aegean 1; Mediterranean 1. Most records come from İstanbul, Ankara, Kırklareli, Karabük, Bolu, İzmir, Nevşehir and Aksaray.

Records peak in August, September and October; about 66% of dated records fall in September–November and 8% in March–May.

Chicken of the woods fruits from April to November in Europe; in Turkey, GBIF records peak in September–October.

Chicken of the woods grows on dead or old hardwoods (oak, chestnut, beech, cherry, willow, poplar, black locust…), occasionally on conifers, and causes brown cubical rot in the heartwood.

Jack-o'-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius, poisonous): Orange but gilled and clustered; Turkish Wikipedia warns about this confusion.

Maitake (Grifola frondosa, edible): A clump of grey-brown spoon-shaped caps at the base of a tree.

Dryad's saddle (Cerioporus squamosus, edible): It grows in tiers on trees, but is cream with dark brown scales on the cap and has a short stem.

Giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus, inedible): It forms huge brown-beige rosettes at tree bases; its pores blacken when handled.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the chicken of the woods grow in Turkey?

Most records come from İstanbul, Ankara, Kırklareli, Karabük and Bolu.

When does the chicken of the woods fruit in Turkey?

Records peak in August, September and October.

Which province has the most chicken of the woods records?

İstanbul, followed by Ankara, Kırklareli and Karabük. The order also reflects where observers are active.

What habitat does the chicken of the woods prefer?

Chicken of the woods grows on dead or old hardwoods (oak, chestnut, beech, cherry, willow, poplar, black locust…), occasionally on conifers, and causes brown cubical rot in the heartwood.

Can I pick mushrooms where they are recorded?

A record is not a permit. Commercial picking in state forests needs a permit; picking in national parks is prohibited.

How current is this map?

Records are re-fetched from GBIF and iNaturalist at the start of every month and this page updates automatically.

What should I do in case of mushroom poisoning?

Call 112 at once; Turkey's poison centre is 114.

Sources

  1. 6831 sayılı Orman Kanunu (mevzuat.gov.tr) mevzuat.gov.tr
  2. 2873 sayılı Millî Parklar Kanunu, md. 14 (mevzuat.gov.tr) mevzuat.gov.tr
  3. GBIF ve iNaturalist: Türkiye gözlem kayıtları (sitemizin haritası) gbif.org
All sources (6)
  1. Wikipedia (EN): Laetiporus sulphureus en.wikipedia.org
  2. Vikipedi (TR): Kükürt mantarı tr.wikipedia.org
  3. First Nature: Laetiporus sulphureus first-nature.com

Data sources and licences

Observations from GBIF.org (human observations and herbarium specimens; records flagged with geospatial issues excluded) and iNaturalist research-grade records, retrieved 2 November 2026. Macrofungi only (Agaricomycetes, Pezizomycetes), named to species. Every point links to its own record, with the recorder and licence (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-NC).

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Province centres: Wikidata. Region comes from the record's GADM province, or the nearest province centre when missing. For protected species (iNaturalist "threatened" or IUCN VU/EN/CR) locations are rounded to ~10 km; locations obscured by iNaturalist are marked "approximate".

An observation shows that a mushroom was seen there on that day, not that it is there now or that it may be picked. Counts reflect how many people record fungi in an area more than how common a species is.

Last updated: Prepared by the Poros Mantar editorial teamReport a correction