[4] The fruit body of Stereum sanguinolentum manifests itself as a thin (typically less than 1 mm thick) leathery crust on the surface of the host wood.

The color ranges from beige to buff to dark brown in mature specimens; the margins are lighter-colored.

[6] It is a white-rot basidiomycete that causes an extensive decay resulting from wounds, logging extractions, bark peeking, or branch pruning.

Stereum sanguinolentum forms territorial clones while spreading by vegetative growth between spatially separated resource units; Armillaria spp, Heterobasidion annosum, Phellinus weirii, Inonotus tomentosus, and Phellinus noxius all work with Stereum sanguinolentum to attack the host.

These pathogens combine to form territorial clones that can cover up to several hectares and survive for hundreds of years while infecting trees.

Stereum sanguinolentum is an extremely fast colonizer of newly dead or wounded conifer sapwood.

[10] In white rot, the infection occurs from spores landing near the wounds or the transmission of mycelial fragments by wood sap.

[13] The fungus is geographically widespread, and has been recorded from North America, Europe, east Africa, New Zealand,[12] and Australia.

[14] The halos caused by Stereum sanguinolentum can be prevented by taking care during the harvesting of trees to assure that no injuries occur.