Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is the striking white mushroom that looks less like a toadstool than a frozen waterfall or a shaggy pom-pom — a rounded, cushiony mass hung all over with long, soft, icicle-like spines that cascade downward instead of a familiar cap and stem. It grows on wounds and dead patches of hardwood trees and is now widely cultivated. Cooked, the dense white flesh pulls apart into tender, juicy strands whose flavour is famously reminiscent of crab or lobster, which has made it a favourite plant-forward stand-in for seafood. Beyond the kitchen it is studied for unusual compounds that act on nerve-growth pathways.