Honey Fungus

Found a huge crop (is that the right word?) of this in the garden (3 feet wide!) and was told that it is Honey Fungus which had killed a tree, which was then taken down a year or two back.

When I was back inside I excitedly pulled my books to see if it was edible, with mouth-watering thoughts of the mushroom related meals that we could be eating solidly for the next 3 weeks (mushroom stroganoff, pate, tart, pizza, risotto, ravioli, tempura, pickled mushrooms, mushrooms on toast etc).

My book says "the Gardener's No. 1 Most Hated Toadstool is the Honey Fungus". Great! I then later went on to read "Honey fungus remains the top garden disease troubling gardeners, according the Royal Horticultural Society" and "Honey fungus is the woodlands' hyenas, jackals and vultures rolled into one. It is a scavenger. It cleans up woodland whether it wants it or not."

Brilliant - what is it with my garden?!!! First it was the Japanese Knotweed and now this!!!

I did read that Honey Fungus can be edible, but like my last mushroom adventure I am not sure I am interested anymore...