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Story: Mushrooms and other cultivated fungi

Wood ear

Image
Wood ear

Wood ear fungus grows on decaying branches in lowland forests. Between 1870 and 1950, tonnes were dried and exported to China, where it was stir-fried and made into soup.

Using this item

Landcare Research – Manaaki Whenua

by Peter Buchanan

© Copyright image. All rights reserved. Permission from Manaaki Whenua: Landcare Research New Zealand Limited must be obtained before the re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff, Mushrooms and other cultivated fungi – Speciality mushrooms, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/16821/wood-ear (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 1 March 2009.