What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

Winter Red

With snow blanketing much of the Northeast, there’s not much color in the woods right now. However, if you happen to be out in a hemlock grove, you just might spot one of these shiny, reddish forms. What is this?

Answer

This is the late form of hemlock varnish fungus, Ganoderma tsugae. The polypore is also sometimes called hemlock reishi, because of its kinship with the Japanese fungus, which is prized in traditional medicine.

This week’s contest winner was Brendan Bogosian