What's this weird fungus at the base of my yews?

[Helgathehairy]

We planted yews about two months ago. At this stage about 1/3 of them are brown and crispy looking and a few more are heading that way (there are 33 in total). Anyway when having a look the other day I noticed this weird fungus growing around the base of some of them. It's on healthy and unhealthy ones. Any idea what it is?
Was wondering if it came from the bark mulch we have spread but it only seems to be near the yews, not anything else.

Could be Auricularia auricula-judae www.wildfooduk.com/mushroom-guides/wood-ears-mushroom/.

I have no idea! It looks like its growing out of the wood chip? bark mulch? you have under there, in which case I don't think it will be harming your trees. It could just be that the small plants are creating the idea shade/moisture conditions for it to thrive. But I know very, very little about fungi.

looks a bit like Jew's ear fungus- is it just on the base?

Ganoderma carnosum grows on yews in Britain..I wonder if it is a fancy ersion of that?

It is just on the base. The bit in the photo is almost ear shaped but there are random bits that are more traditional mushroom shaped. It doesn't seem to be hurting the yew (we seem to be killing them without help!). Was just wondering in case it was poisonous.

err on the side of caution that it is poisonous- and lets face it- so are yew berries

probably not Jew's ear fungus as they seem to grow only on elders (hence the name)