Turkey Tail Mushroom, Its Look-Alikes, & Medicinal Benefits with Adam Haritan 

I was diagnosed with a type of lung cancer last year, I had hundreds of nodules on my lungs. I took no medicine other than mushroom teas, with Chaga, reishi, Turkey tail, and artist conk. After 4 MRI'S my nodules were gone, and I was released back to work.. I swear by the power of mushrooms, and tell anyone willing to sit and let me tell them my story.. Thank you Adam for spreading your knowledge on all things nature! Prayers you stay blessed and continue your amazing work!!

Honestly, and I'm not exaggerating here, but this is one of the most underrated channels. You actually cover stuff in depth and it's extremely approachable whether you're a beginner or expert. I hope your channel gets more attention because you certainly deserve it. Also, are you trying to grow your hair out for the winter lol?

I'm a two time breast cancer survivor. Wish I had seen this years ago. But am now just getting into my fun research of mushroom hunting, because I just recently purchased 14 acres (Southern Indiana), 4 acres in the woods and tons of mushrooms year round.

If you are not a college professor, you should be . You are one of the best teachers I have ever encountered anywhere . What vast knowledge you have . Thank you for your great channel.

Damn, this is one of those channels that should have several millions of subscribers but doesn't. Not only quality and concise information, but also in an easy-to-digest & professional presentation.

Thank you for stopping the music while you're talking. RU-vid suffers badly from amateur editing with annoying background music. Very difficult for those of us with concentrating problems. This video is just great, thanks!

This, and Chaga are my 2 favorite mushrooms. I've been using them daily now for about 10 years to treat an autoimmune disease I suffer from. Initially, the doctors wanted to cut out most of my colon and put me on drug therapy for life. Thankfully that was not necessary after delving into the science behind these mushrooms.

Usually on the internet when I hear someone say here are the medicinal properties I sigh and roll my eyes ... because I know it's going to be a lot of pseudo-scientific bullshit that they scraped from random sites. But you actually provide information from reputable sources and the names of studies and hard data that we can look up. Thank you.

Psilocybin containing mushroom saved my life. The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit. it has also helped me to survive depression

You're a very well-spoken young man and your passion is evident. You'll go far friend :)

Thanks for posting your videos. 10 years ago I got cancer, had surgery, was lined up for chemo, had one session and it gave me chronic clots so I pulled out of the treatment. Was told I'd a VERY POOR prognosis..I was resigned to whatever course my life was to take. Being a forager from childhood I went looking and researching for suitable medicinal plants to give my body an assist in recovering from cancer AND chemo and clots. I opted for turkeytail and birch polypore. I was loathe to start taking anything that involved alcohol as it is in itself a problem for the body. I dry both, and every few weeks make a batch. I blitz the turkeytail into a feathery powder and put a generous tablespoon on my breakfast every day. The Birch Polypore I dry in slices, then blitz it into a breadcrumb consistency, cook it in water, simmering for an hour, leave it overnight, warm it up the next day and drain it all through a sieve and reduce this to about a 1/3. I take about an egg-cup full in a glass of juice to mask the vile taste of it. So I'm still here but would be gratefull for any advice about the positive or negative implications of how I'm processing the plants. I was told I had to use alcohol to extract certain properties from the BP but I'm confident the human body is in itself a perfect extraction system.

As a botanist and mushroom enthusiast, I find your videos so helpful. I am grateful to you for making them, for including the science behind mycological discoveries and for being straightforward in your presentations. I'm fast becoming a fan.

I'm getting my master's degree working with polypore taxonomy and loved the video. Funny thing: Those 3 species can be found in southeastern Brazil's deciduous forest, exactly the region I work in, and I have actually found Trametes, Trichaptum and Stereum here. It's awesome to this how passionate this guy is about the subject

Man, your brain must be a fascinating place to live. You are amazing. Thanks for helping me identify false turkey tail. I found a log right inside my treeline today that is covered with them. Now, I can go out and be able to identify the actual Turkey Tail on or close to the same log, hopefully. On Christmas Eve, right beside that log, I found a huge colony of Oyster mushrooms. I used your knowledge and others on RU-vid and Google images to identify those as edible. So yummy! I'm really excited to see what else I can find. I'm almost certain I'll find Chaga somewhere on all of my trees surrounding my home! That and Turkey Tail will be my prizes. Wish me luck. Thank you and God bless!

Just starting my adventures into mycology, thoroughly enjoyed this video.

Hey Adam, I absolutely love your videos. You are an awesome teacher I can tell by watching your videos and seeing your expressions how totally you are in awe with our mother earth. You give me renewed faith in humanity. I had all but given up on the millennial generation until you came along. It's nice to see a young fella so much in love with the earth as me, keep up the great work and I'll keep watching. Your friend Roy.

You're great. So glad that there are young people following in Paul Stamet's footsteps. This knowledge needs to be kept alive for all to access. Thank you 🙏

You have to be one of the most articulate and knowledgeable shroomers on youtube. If you are ever interested in hunting in northern Cali. I live in sanat cruz and we have a huge community here. Can't wait to watch more of your videos. Do the black puffball fungus grow there? Sorry I need to look up the latin name. It has powerful anti bacterial properties. Daldinia concentrica. I have tested it. ;]

A friend of mine from New Hampshire drove all the way down there to take your class, and she still raves . I'm in CT, where the tree evolution seems to be pretty complex, tons of reds, but I know where a few ancient whites still endure. (not counting the Charter Oak). It's such precious food and medecine, and lately I've found it burns great. (downed wood only please!). Please keep posting these , many botanists are hiding now, this helps our sanity!

I appreciate all your info. I love mushrooms and need to learn more. One thing I need to say there is a God and He created a world full of wonderful medicinal substances including mushrooms. The universe was created by God and you were created by God. One day we will all see Him and maybe sooner than later but anyway thanks again and I will add you to my prayers.

And yet oncologist will almost certainly not recommend this to their patients. I helped my girlfriends mom make a full remission using a mix of Turkey Tail and Cannabis oil, with her chemotherapy. She almost entirely attributed her survival to the medicine that we gave her, as her chances with the chemotherapy were 10%. She takes the oil and Turkey tail daily now. Great content as always! Make your own medicine!

So cool, I went out after watching this and found and identified all three! Now time for turkey tail tea!!

Most Excellent! If the rest of your videos are this informative... I can't wait to watch them all.

Yes! Finally harvested Trametes versicolor! Can't wait to make tea!

I absolutely love watching and learning from you!!!

You have some of the BEST videos on youtube. Thank you!

Thanks, Adam! Since I didn't know anything I learned a ton! Can't wait to go looking! You make it very clear!

thank you for putting this information out there. its very important for people to be able to find sources like this. it means a lot. truely.

you have the best mushroom and plant identifying vids out here... You are my go to mushroom and wild plant identifier, thanks for your knowledge.

Man this video is so cool. I learned a lot from it. I feel much more confident in my ID's. Thanks a lot. Big thumbs up 👌

Incredibly informative! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, my dude!

Dude when I heard ayla for your theme for this. I'm in the right place. I needed that. Thank you. Wish we were closer brother. One love

Best info and delivery on schrooms , thank you!

Great video Adam!! Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us!

Dude, There Aren’t near enough channels like this on the RU-vid. Thank you

Been wondering about these for a while... I see them everywhere, but knowing what to look for now I may finally forage some!

Goodness...so informative and relatable! I love how very thoroughly you cover everything from identification to its medicinal properties and studies done.

These videos have inspired me to begin foraging. The way Adam talks just makes me smile and his passion is so evident. Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us!

Oh cool! I’m just starting to learn about mushrooms and I live in Erie pa so I was pumped when you said you were in western pa, hoping to learn a lot from your channel. Thanks for the videos!

Thank you Adam, I learned so much through your videos and enjoyed every single one I watched.

Really enjoy your videos. Thank you for the time you put into them.

Thank you Adam for being so thorough with identification differences. Great close up shots of the fungi from top view. More visuals of the undersides would have made the video perfect.

Adam, I love the way you structure your vids. I have no internet out here in the woods where I live, so I screenshot your pictures on my ipad and take it with me when I’m trying to ID mushrooms. Combined with your excellent descriptions I can confidently say I’m learning much more than from the books I’ve read. Thank you,Thank you, Thank you!

I LOVE THIS MAN! I have learned SO much. Thank you!! Thank you so much. KEEP UP THIS AMAZING WORK!

You are awesome dude. Your knowledge and willingness to share what you have learnt inspires me and continues to keep me interested in all of your content. You are my most watched videos on RU-vid. I can't say enough how much i appreciate what your doing here.

Excellent video! Really enjoy learning about the field identification features of these mushrooms but also the ecological and medicinal significance.

Your videos are fantastic! Really in depth knowledge you are sharing here. So grateful for your generous teachings!

Thank you Adam, I am a big fan and a student of your online course. Hoping to learn more and become as knowledgeable as you. Thank you and keep up the good work from thr sunshine coaster!

I'd like to see the undersides of the true & false side-by-side, and know how turkey tails are prepared for consumption

Thank you for your wonderful clear information... I live in an area in Australia where I have many of these mushrooms and fungi growing You have certainly added a clear explanation to my search.

Excellent video, as usual, Dr. H.!! I always learn from your videos! Thanks!

We love ❤️ medicinal mushrooms! Thanks so much for sharing!

You’re by far the most informative about mushrooms. Others are smart as well. But, you’re by far the best I’ve seen. Im very new to learning about mushrooms. I’ve watched a lot of videos on mushrooms. You and Paul Stamets are the best. Keep doing what you do. And make more videos😎

Love this! I was just able to explain to one of my forum friends who wanted to culture a turkey tail that he had trichaptum biforme. I sent him your video too. Ever since I watched this I have never had an issue identifying turkey tail. I tend to go for fresh specimens since I find them to be the easiest to identify. I've even found trachaptum biforme and trametes versicolor on the same logs. Hopefully that saves him a lot of hassle and he goes out and finds some real turkey tail.

Best mushroom vid I've ever seen. I found one as I was watching too. I'm in MD.

that video is just like being there, crystal clear!!

Your videos are great! I just found some honey mushrooms today (in Western Washington) and watched your video to verify my ID. I have been watching some others you made, and now feel confident ID'ing several species that grow around here. Thanks and hope you keep making more :)

Hey Adam!! You are great :-) Thank you for taking the time to create your channel and all the supporting videos. I'm in NJ; I lament not being in western Pennsylvania... I would try to join your group. I love watching your videos (solid information and backstories) - but I imagine walking with you and your compatriots would really help this information sink in. I suppose I might find a group closer to me (Essex County, NJ) but I doubt I'll get lucky enough to find someone with your level of knowledge. Thanks again.

You are the man. Thank you for the information and inspiration! Hearing how excited you are throughout several detailed explanations really strengthens my own enthusiasm and this video was very helpful in my introduction to shelf fungi! 🍄❤

Great vid, we love turkey tail, my wife has got a real eye for spotting it when we go out. Really informative video, a fascinating subject. Very much appreciated. Regards shane

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. You have helped us identify the turkey tail that is abundant on our wooded land. Your channel has become one of our favorites to follow.

I have studying hard with Adam's videos and am so excited about this coming year.

Adam Thank you for your videos . I enjoy watching them, they are very informative.

Thank you so much! This was exactly what I was looking for...

Thank you for sharing! I learn so much from you. Going back and rewatching all your videos. I'm going to do some research on the turkey tail & see if it holds any help for me.

Hi there. Greeting from the UK. I wanted to thank you for this really excellent video. It was exactly what I was looking for but more interesting and well presented than I could have hoped for. You presented the qualities for identification, and the properties of medicinal alliance so well that I doubt there is a better Turkey Tail video out there. Thank you so much for your videos which are well researched and put together, and encouraging for those of us trying to learn more about funga. Really appreciate your work on this. Good health

Your channel has been providing me with so much information and foundation through my early foraging years. Thank you very much

Im pretty sure I saw all three species today on a few fallen logs, some were birch, others oak. The strange thing was that I am almost positive there were both Turkey tail and violet toothed polypores on the same log, they seemed to be competing and I didn't realize how closely all three species grew in relationship with one another. Thank you for the great video from NE Ohio:)

I always learn something. keep up the great work. Love your passion.

Wonderful video! Thank you so much Adam!

Hey!! Thanks for the super informative video. We moved to PA last Fall and my boys brought home a bowl of what appears to be Turkey Tail! There were some old violet poly mixed in - they were green on top and had the teeth on bottom, same beautiful hombre coloring like a Turkey's tail. I was totally mortified and your video brought me much peace and clarity. I have dehydrated them and will grind them up to add to my homemade Chai tea! I'm going to follow your channel to learn more about the mushrooms in our state!

Great video! Really impressed at the quality of your content. Big thanks!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, you really do cover it so well in identification ways and I love how you show them so clearly on the logs as they would be found, especially when you held up the log with turkey tail on,, it helped so much in checking it out real time - much appreciated xoxoxo

Great channel. Thanks for the information. Brings out the desire to return to the land with knowledge.

I've gained so much from your videos over the years. Thanks for helping me have a better understanding of the world around me 🙏🏼

Thank you so much, Adam, It's interesting. I have been learned a lot.

How do you harvest turkey tail You’re an amazing teacher. Thank you for your work in putting these videos together. They are always so interesting.

Thank you for the awesome explanation on the difference between the mushrooms. I’m new to the mushroom finding world and have heard lots about turkey tail so I’m really hoping to find some one day.

So impressed with all of your videos. Such a wealth of knowledge and passion. Thank you for sharing.

Found some older turkey tail and was able to positively identify it from this video. Can't wait until it rains again. I've been out every day and this drought it really making it hard to find fresh mushrooms. Fantastic video. I'm subscribed now.

Adam, my husband and I really appreciate, respect and trust your knowledge...this particular video in particular Im pretty sure we've viewed over 100 times 😜 we always second guess ourselves when it comes to TT 🤣 I have a handful of foragers I trust on you tube and you... you're one of the top ones. So...thank you for all you do...when are you going to come out with a regular (greens and such) type of foraging course...we purchased your mushroom course...blessings to you Adam thank you again 😁

Wow, So informative Really well done.

Favorite channel, wish you had a q&a somewhere I could ask random questions when they arise in my adventures

Off to look for turkey tails now. Thanks for the video!

Great video! Thanks Adam for articulating the differences of the three mushrooms. I am in Texas and every year in our neighborhood park, on the same trees, the most beautiful turkey tails grow. They are big too. I always admired the shape and colors but now I will start harvesting some of them for tea. I had one question that hopefully you can answer. Do you know if the young turkey tails have more medicinal qualities than the old turkey tails? Much thanks!

I love this information, I'm a huge fan of his teachings.. thank you sir, I love scouting for mushroom fungi..

Like your personality, you seem like a good person, wish the best for you. I needed this

Hey! thanks for another great video. I found my first lobster mushrooms of the year today! The mushroom hunting is amazing in PA this year.

I really appreciate your channel! My grandfather was extremely knowledgeable on everything in nature... Mushrooms, plants, trees, animals... Sadly, when I was 12, he suffered a stroke that seriously impaired his speech and mobility. So, I missed out on a lot of time and knowledge with him. My dad taught me a good bit, though. And I'm learning more on my own. I had a question though. Do you ever use Turkey Tail that has been dried in the woods? I come across a lot that is perfectly dried and preserved on logs.

After watching this video, I found all three in my firewood pile. Thanks for your hard work and diligence.

The best and most comprehensive approach to mushroom id ive ever encountered. Good job! If you havent got your ph. D, you should.

Excellent information as always! I was wondering if the look-a-likes of the turkey tail are poisonous? Just curious as it’s one I really want to find this year. TFS! Hope all is well with you. Blessings ~Lisa

I appreciate how you repeat the description and distinctions. It helps to embed and differentiate your information. Very mature approach .

Just got into mushroom foraging and because of this video I positively IDed my first Turkey Tail!

I am consistently inspired by both your knowledge and enthusiasm. Thanks for your hard work and for taking the time to spread your knowledge. You get me excited about learning!

Any videos of the preparation of the turkey tail from foraging to ingesting? Thanks Adam!

I saw what I think is Turkey tail on a rotting log outside- so excited to go see if it true or not! Thanks so much for your excellent intelligent informative work!

Thank you, Adam - needed a refresher course in Turkey Tail 🌟

This was so helpful in identifying Turkey tail, thank you!

I've watched a few videos on this and i have seen them often but i went out today and found a lot of them. I found some true turkey tails and some with teeth. I havent used for medicine yet. Im just getting to that now. You are very, very informative. Thank you! I love it!