Commonly Cultivated Mushroom Species

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus and other Pleurotus species)

The easiest mushroom to cultivate. Good for beginners.

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

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

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus and other Pleurotus species)

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

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

Shiitake mushroom log © Photo by Keith Weller, courtesy USDA

King Stropharia or Wine Cap (Stropharia rugoso-annulata)

Easy to grow on woodchips outdoors.

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.

Maitake at base of tree. © Photo by Patrick Harvey

Maitake kit. Field and Forest Products

Lions Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Brown Beech Mushroom (Hysizygus tessulatus)

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

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

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.

Royal Trumpet Mushroom.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

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