Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is also known as the hedgehog mushroom, and once you see if you’ll know why! This edible mushroom is tasty albeit unusual in appearance, and it has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine for supporting the brain and neurological health.* Native to North America, Asia and Europe, this unique mushroom is commonly found during late summer into the autumn. It grows on hardwoods in the wild, particularly American beech trees. A mushroom goes through many stages during its life cycle, just like any plant or animal. Each part of a mushroom has unique attributes that support wellness and serve a different purpose for the organism, but it’s the fruiting bodies that receive the most attention and are the most familiar. Fruiting bodies emerge from the substrate on which they grow — such as trees or fallen logs — to become the part of the mushroom we recognize. They’re the above-ground part that we can see when we walk through the woods, and they’re also what have been traditionally foraged and consumed, in food and supplements.