Soft, fleshy white spines dangling like tiny icicles are traits of these fungal “snowballs” of the forest. Appearing during autumn, even amid light to moderate frosts, these wood-decomposing fungi are easy to identify--if not always precisely. At least four different species of Hericium exist in Illinois. Some have shorter, bristly spines on their dense mass, and some feature a looser, branched form with spines appearing on the branches.