What do shrooms look like?

There are actually more than 180 different species of psilocybin-containing mushrooms which grow around the world.

Most of the shrooms that are commonly available for use as psychedelics are from the Psilocybe Cubensis species, but even within the same species, there are many different ways mushrooms look and grow.

Why are Psilocybe Cubensis shrooms the most common?

If you’ve bought mushrooms before, they were probably Psilocybe Cubensis. There are more than 60 different strainss of Psilocybe Cubensis like Golden Teachers, B+, Penis Envy, and Pink Buffalo. The reason why you have probably had Psilocybe Cubensis is because they are the easiest to grow at home. 

There has been a mushroom growing movement with tons of people growing different strains of Psilocybe Cubensis at home since the 1970s. In fact, due to two decades of selective home breeding there are now 60 different strains of Psilocybin Cubensis!

Are indoor or cultivated shrooms different from wild shrooms?

While different strains of Cubensis can also be found in the wild all over the world, the indoor grown types are typically more potent. That’s one of the reasons that mushrooms you buy on the underground market are often stronger than the ones you pick in nature, since they’ve been bred for strength and are grown in specific substrates which increase potency.

Psilocybe Cubensis also grows naturally throughout the southern US, Mexico, Central America, South America. They also grow in Cuba, India, Southeast Asia, Australia. They basically grow all over the world! 

What do Psilocybe Cubensis mushrooms look like?

They have a golden color. Something else to know is that they turn a bluish color when they are handled roughly. The colour shows that parts of the mushroom are oxidizing – basically being exposed to oxygen. So that’s one way that you might be able to identify them in the wild. You really have to be careful when you’re foraging because there are tons of mushrooms which are fatal. You definitely don’t want to accidentally eat the wrong mushroom!

What do Liberty Cap shrooms look like?

Psilocybe Semilanceata, better known as Liberty Cap, or Witch’s Hat. Liberty Caps are the most common psilocybin containing mushrooms in the wild. They’re also the third most potent!

They grow wildly all over the northern hemisphere, and they prefer rich and acidic soil like grasslands, meadows, pastures and lawns, especially ones fertilized with sheep or cow manure. Because this is such a common environment around the world, big lawns, gardens, soccer fields, they grow in many countries throughout Europe and they also grow in North America. 

What are Flying Saucer shrooms?

Psilocybe Azurescens, are also known as Flying Saucer mushrooms. They are the most potent psilocybin species that grows in the wild. Believe it or not, they can contain up to 1.78% psilocybin.

What do Philosopher’s Stone mushrooms look like?

Psilocybe Tampanensis or Philosopher’s Stone shrooms are very common in the Netherlands. The truffles they are commonly sold in are not quite as potent as whole psilocybin mushrooms so you have to take more truffles than you would psilocybin mushrooms but as long as you get the ratios right, they’re said to be equally healing and equally profound! 

What are Wavy Cap shrooms?

Psilocybe Cyanescens, or Wavy Cap because the cap has a ripple shape. They’re believed to be native to Central Europe and the Pacific Northwest, but it’s really hard to tell because they are now one of the most widespread wild psilocybin containing mushrooms in the world. Wavy Caps are really tough to grow indoors, but they’re very popular among psychonauts and foragers, because they also contain a high percentage of psilocybin. 

Is there more than one type of Blue Meanies?

Panaeolus Cyanescens or Blue Meanies. Now these are sometimes confused with a strain of Psilocybe Cubensis called Blue Meanies, but these mushrooms are different in a few ways. For one, these are the first species of mushrooms that we’ve mentioned that isn’t part of the Psilocybe genus, but is instead a part of the Panaeolus genus. But that doesn’t mean that these are not some potent mushrooms. In fact, these are some of the strongest psilocybin containing mushrooms in the world with three times the amount of psilocybin and psilocin than Psilocybe Cubensis!

What do Mexicana shrooms look like?

Psilocybe Mexicana has a rich and interesting history. It’s believed that this species of psilocybin containing mushrooms was consumed by the Aztec people ceremonially before Spanish colonization. Mexicana is also the species that French botanist Roger Haim sent to Albert Hoffman in 1958. Hoffman, of course, was the chemist who discovered LSD first synthesized in 1938. Hoffman used that sample to cultivate more magic mushrooms and isolate psilocybin and solution for the first time in a lab.

Can I forage for psychedelic mushrooms?

Always be careful when you’re going out into the wild and foraging for mushrooms. It is definitely recommended that you go with someone who knows what they’re doing. 

There are more than 180 different kinds of psychedelic mushrooms and the main takeaway is that when you buy a psilocybin mushroom, or you grow a psilocybin mushroom, or you find a psilocybin mushroom, they all have varying compositions and varying levels of Psilocybin. When you take any type of mushroom, always start low and go slow.

What do shrooms look like from a dispensary?

No matter which strain you buy, shrooms will generally be dried. The stems look kind of like sticks, and the caps are dried out and shriveled up like dehydrated fruit. It’s important that the shrooms are cracker-dry – which means they snap instead of bending.