• North American Mycological Association

    Promoting, pursuing and advancing mycology

  • Asociación Micológica de América del Norte

    Perseguir y hacer avanzar la micología

  • Association Mycologique d'Amérique du Nord

    Poursuivre et faire progresser la mycologie

Commonly Cultivated Mushroom Species

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus and other Pleurotus species)

The easiest mushroom to cultivate. Good for beginners.

Oyster on straw Golden oyster mushroom on straw

Grey Dove Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)
growing on straw © Photo by Ron Spinosa

Golden Oyster (Pleurotus citrinopileatus)
on straw © Photo by Ron Spinosa

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)

Grow outdoors on logs or indoors on sawdust blocks. Delicious and also medicinal.

Shiitake mushroom block

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) on sawdust block
© Photo by John Plischke III

Shiitake mushroom log

Shiitake mushroom log © Photo by Keith Weller, courtesy USDA

King Stropharia or Wine Cap (Stropharia rugoso-annulata)

Easy to grow on woodchips outdoors.

Stropharia rugosoannulata

Stropharia rugusoannulata
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Maitake (Grifola frondosa)

Also known as Hen-of-the-woods. Outdoors on logs or indoors on sawdust. Delicious and also medicinal.

Grifola frondosa

Maitake at base of tree. © Photo by Patrick Harvey

Maitake on growth medium

Maitake kit. Field and Forest Products

Lions Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Outdoors on logs or indoors on sawdust. Delicious and also medicinal.

Hericium erinaceus

Lion's Mane in nature.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Hericium on sawdust

Lion’s Mane cultivated on sawdust.
© Photo by Ron Spinosa.

Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)

Highly esteemed medicinal mushroom. Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over a thousand years. Can be grown on sawdust or on logs. Kits are available. Cultivation supplies and kits.

Ganoderma lucidum

Reishi or Língzh? Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) cultivated on
sawdust. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Ganoderma lucidum on field and forest kit

Reishi kit antler form - Field and Forest Products kit.
© Photo by Ron Spinosa

Nameko Mushroom (Pholiota nameko)

A very popular cultivated mushroom in Japan. Marketed in US as "butterscotch mushroom." Grow on sawdust blocks or logs.

Pholiota nameko

Nameko Mushrooms (Pholiota nameko) on sawdust
© Photo by Ron Spinosa

Velvet Foot Mushroom aka Enokitake (Flamulina velutipes)

Fruits under cool conditions. In Asia gown in jars under low light and high CO2 to produce long thin stems and minute caps. Very different appearance in nature. Grow on sawdust, paper and cardboard.

Enokitake

Enokitake (Flamulina velutipes) grown in jars
© Photo by Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons

Flammulina velutipes

Velvet Foot Mushroom (Flamulina velutipes) in nature
© Photo by Kathy Yerich

Brown Beech Mushroom (Hysizygus tessulatus)

Also marketed as Buna-shimeji in Japan. Substrate: Sawdust, logs, straw.

Hypsizygus tessellatus

Brown Beech Mushroom (Hysizygus tessulatus). Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The Pioppino Mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita)

Also marketed in USA as “Chestnut Mushroom”. Substrate: Hardwood chips and sawdust, hardwood logs

Agrocybe aegerita

The Pioppino Mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita) © Photo by Ramiro Barreiro

Royal Trumpet Mushroom (Pleurotus eringyi)

Shaped like a bowling pin, mostly stem, firm and meaty. Substrate: Hardwood sawdust, straw supplemented with cottonseed meal. Grown in jars in Asia. Excellent flavor.

Pleurotus eringyi

Royal Trumpet Mushroom.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Pleurotus eryngyi on plate

King oyster mushrooms in a Spanish market.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.