Lingzhi

Called the sacred fungus of immortality, the lingzhi mushroom it is a symbol for longevity as it grows on the trunks or roots of trees like the pine and instead of decaying becomes woody and survives for a long time. Its Chinese name is a homophone for an auspicious Chinese cloud (yun) form, that represents the heavens, good luck and fortune, so that particular cloud form also a symbol of long life and immortality. It was also believed to grow on the “Three Islands of the Immortals” where immortals lived.