Fomitopsis malicola appears in spring and fall on dead wood of broadleaf trees; these collections were from shaded Oak–Hickory forests. It grows in shelves to gregarious clusters, reported on fallen branches including Chinqupin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) and Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata).

Fruiting bodies are sessile and shelf-like to partially crust-like, with caps ranging from dull red-brown to yellow-tan or dull orange. Cap surfaces are smooth to bumpy and may show concentric zonation, with a hairy or uneven zone near the point of attachment. Pores on the underside are round to irregular, sometimes honeycomb-like, and range from white to cream or pale yellow. The fertile surface is hydrophobic. KOH applied to the cap produces a wine red reaction that later turns black; on the hymenium it produces a gray color. Ammonia applied to the cap first turns it orange-red, then dull dark red with a lighter margin; on the hymenium it produces a gray reaction. The spore print is white to pale yellow.