[5][6][7] Neolentinus lepideus fruit bodies are tough, fleshy, agarics of variable size.

[9] The fruiting bodies of Neolentinus lepideus are found singly or in tufts emerging from dead and decaying coniferous wood, favouring pines (Pinus) including old stumps, logs, and timber.

It may also be found in gardens, on man-made wooden structures such as old railroad ties, and in such unusual places as coal mines.

[13] Neolentinus lepideus has a saprotrophic mode of nutrition and is an important woodland decomposer and a cause of wet rot in building materials.

The fungus has shown tolerance of wood treated with creosote and other preservatives, and has been used in experiments to evaluate the efficacy of treatment methods.