Would you have thought that 90% of what you read online about magic mushroom strains is nonsense!?

As a result of over two decades of marketing campaigns specifically targeting the Dutch market, people now believe that variety is king.

In this article, we’ll explain what a magic mushroom strain actually is, what differences there are between strains, and what the most important factors are when choosing the right one for you.

What is a magic mushroom strain?

‘Strain’ is the common term people use to refer to a specific type of magic mushroom within a species. 

You may have heard of some names, such as Golden Teacher mushrooms, B+ Mushrooms, Tampanensis, or Albinos… or even Penis Envy mushrooms (no joke, that’s a real strain). 

Strains are like a subcategory within a mushroom species. All the strains listed above belong to the same species: Stropharia cubensis. The most famous and most popular mushroom of all time. 

There are other species that are less well known, more difficult to cultivate and often found only in the wild. As a general rule, foraging for wild magic mushrooms is a delicate art, and they are much stronger than those you can easily grow at home, using grow kits or spores.

Now that we know what a magic mushroom strain is, as opposed to a species, let’s look at how you can find out which strain of shrooms is best for you.

What are the differences between magic mushroom strains?

Virtually all strains used for magic mushroom cultivation belong to the *Stropharia cubensis* species, with very few exceptions. It is simply the easiest species to grow. So although they all produce mushrooms of the same species, they have been given different names because they were found or cultivated in different parts of the world.

“Psilocybe Tampanensis” was first discovered during a mushroom-hunting trip in Tampa, Florida. “Psilocybe Mexicana” is derived from the original batch of magic mushrooms that were brought from Mexico to the Western world, way back in the 1950s. In 1954, the Mexican curandera Maria Sabina allowed Gordon R. Wasson to take part in a magic mushroom healing ceremony in Oaxaca, Mexico. This event became a pivotal moment in mushroom history, as it brought magic mushrooms to the attention of the US counterculture and made them popular.

Some mushroom strains are directly named after icons of the mushroom pop culture that emerged from this discovery, such as “Psilocybe McKennaii” – named after the famous US mycologist and psychedelic author Terence McKenna.

As you can see, none of these names have anything to do with the psychoactive properties and everything to do with the mushroom’s history. Note also that the name “Psilocybe” is incorrectly used here – these mushrooms all belong to the Stropharia cubensis species and were renamed to ensure everyone understands them to be “psilocybin” mushrooms.

So, which mushroom strain is the best? The short answer is, the one you can get hold of and that will grow well in your home. Luckily, Cubensis mushrooms are very easy to grow, so it’s entirely up to you which one you want to go for: Thai mushrooms, Mazatapec mushrooms, Cambodian mushrooms…

You may sometimes read online that “Treasure Coast mushrooms are particularly introspective” or “Why Colombian mushrooms are superior to Ban Huan Thai”. More often than not, the authors are basing their opinions on their own personal experiences with psychedelic mushrooms, which are heavily influenced by a user’s surroundings and inner state.

Plus, don’t forget that magic mushroom grow kits are a growing industry in the Netherlands, founded by some very clever and imaginative salespeople.

However! There is one visible, tangible difference in a strain that does not produce pigmentation in the same way as others.

What are Albino mushroom strains?

Albinos are a genetic variant that tends to produce a smaller harvest per flush than other strains, often yielding a few very long mushrooms, which are reputed to be slightly stronger than their normal, golden-capped counterparts. 

Many different strains are also available as Albino varieties.

The most common strains that produce white magic mushrooms are called Moby Dick and A+.

To determine whether they are actually stronger, however, you would need to carry out some extensive testing. At the very least, they appear to be quite potent, perhaps around 20–30 per cent more so. So whilst you get less by weight from them, you can get a little more out of each gram – which isn’t actually that much of a difference in weight, if you think about it.

Whether you take 5g of dried magic mushrooms or 6g – the extra weight is hardly going to make much difference to the effort involved for you.

This should be all you need to understand the strains you can obtain from magic mushroom grow kits. By the way, this is why we decided to call all our homemade grow kits ‘Golden Caps’ and to always use strains from the climate zone closest to the current season of the year.

If you’re looking into growing magic mushrooms from spores, there are a few exceptions to this that we’ll explore in the next section.

Which magic mushroom strain is the strongest?

There is one exception to the rule that all grow kits contain Cubensis strains: Copelandia cyanescens. This mushroom belongs to a completely different species and is considerably more sensitive to changes in temperature – hence, it is more difficult to grow successfully.

Also known as ‘Panaeolus cyanescens’ or ‘Blue Meanie’, this is a potent psilocybin mushroom species native to several regions around the world, including Hawaii, South-East Asia and Australia. It gained popularity due to its high concentration of psilocybin. It has earned the nickname “Hawaiian Magic Mushroom” because it is commonly found in Hawaii and is believed to have been used by indigenous Hawaiian communities for centuries. 

Pro tip: You may come across shops selling magic truffles under the name “Hawaiians”, but this has nothing to do with Copelandia. They are simply standard magic truffles capitalising on a popular name. The same applies to the Cubensis strain known as “PES Hawaii”. Mushroom names can be confusing like that.

Copelandia mushrooms used to be immensely popular in the early 2000s, before the sale of magic mushrooms was banned by law in the Netherlands. They are about 10 times stronger than your average Cubensis mushroom, which could also have led to a great deal of confusion in the past. If someone was used to 2g of (Cubensis) mushrooms resulting in a mild and pleasant trip, they would suddenly find themselves floating in space after taking 2g of Copelandia mushrooms.

But again, this is not a strain! 

Looking beyond the range of the most common magic mushroom strains, there are a few varieties of Cubensis mushrooms that are reportedly more difficult to cultivate, but which actually have a higher psilocybin content per gram without any change to the substrate.

The mushroom substrate is where the fungi obtain their nutrients, so you can actually make an average strain produce stronger mushrooms by changing what you feed it. 

One famous Cubensis strain that produces stronger-than-average mushrooms on standard rye substrate is called Penis Envy. These magic mushrooms have a phallic appearance and a history shrouded in mystery. Supposedly, they were brought back from the Amazon basin by Terence McKenna and then somehow found their way into the hands of the mycologist Steven Pollock.

Penis Envy magic mushrooms

Be that as it may, an experienced grower might want to take on the challenge of growing Penis Envy, despite their reported tendency to abort quite easily (meaning the mushroom stops growing after the primordia stage).

Other unusual mushroom strains said to be stronger than usual include Tidal Wave mushrooms and Yeti mushrooms – both of which can apparently also appear in an albino form.

Once again, growing magic mushroom strains can be a fun hobby and bring you closer to your shrooms by spending time understanding their life cycle. But if you’re mainly interested in having the cleanest possible trips, you’ll likely get much more out of refining your preparation before a mushroom experience.

If you don’t intend to grow them yourself but would still like to experience them, here’s a word of warning: selling magic mushrooms is illegal in most countries, and you’ll have to look for them in places where there is no quality control.

Buying magic mushrooms online or from friends is one thing, but buying shrooms online can be very risky. There were some cases in the 1970s where people would sell ordinary edible mushrooms soaked in LSD – which is extremely difficult to dose correctly.

If you’re looking for something a little different from what you can comfortably grow at home yourself, you might want to look into foraging for magic mushrooms in your area.

Where can I pick wild magic mushrooms?

If you head out into the countryside at the right time of year (preferably with a mushroom identification guide), you might be lucky enough to find some wild magic mushrooms.

Remember, there are over 200 different species of magic mushrooms, so barring extreme heat or extreme cold, there is likely always a species that thrives in the local climate. These include Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe azurenscens, Gymnopilus spectabilis, the Liberty Cap, and many other mushroom families known to produce magic mushrooms.

Where do magic mushrooms grow?

Here’s a guide to which types of magic mushroom species grow in which climates:

Hot/warm climate (tropical and subtropical): Stropharia cubensis, Panaeolus tropicalis, and sometimes Gymnopilus

Temperate (as in Central Europe or North America): Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe semilanceata, and again, Stropharia cubensis (which grows almost everywhere)

Extremely dry or freezing cold: Mushrooms won’t grow in the desert or on ice – they need water!

In temperate climates, mushrooms tend to grow in meadows, pastures and, of course, in the forest. The ideal time to go foraging for wild mushrooms is in the days following a spell of rain, often in spring and autumn.

Mushroom hunting is great fun, but it’s also absolutely vital that you know exactly what you’re looking for. Misidentifying mushrooms is a common mistake, and remember that there are always some poisonous species that you don’t even want to touch, let alone eat.

If you’re wondering how to tell which mushrooms are edible when you go foraging, it’s best to find out which species grow in your area, what they look like, and how to tell them apart! There’s nothing more frustrating than standing in the middle of a patch of juicy wild mushrooms and being unable to tell whether they’re magic or poisonous. 

The Stropharia cubensis, also known as Psilocybe cubensis, is widely regarded as the easiest mushroom to grow of all species. It has been cultivated by humans for millennia, and its cultivation is so simple that it doesn’t even require fire. The mushroom can be grown on straw – which is where its nickname ‘Rumplestiltskin’ comes from, as it turns straw into gold.

Humans have been migrating around the world for centuries, taking their methods for growing magic mushrooms with them. They also brought their livestock, which provided the necessary substrate for the mushrooms to grow. This symbiotic relationship has led to the spread of Stropharia cubensis mushrooms across the globe. The mushroom began to grow independently in new regions where it was introduced by humans, giving rise to new strains. This has led to the diversity of Stropharia cubensis strains that we see today. This mushroom has played a significant role in human history and has been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes by many cultures. Not only is it easy to grow, but it is also versatile and adaptable, capable of growing in a variety of conditions and regions.

What determines the potency of a magic mushroom?

The appearance and potency of magic mushrooms are not primarily determined by their geographical origin. The way in which the mushrooms are grown – including factors such as temperature, humidity, oxygen levels and changes in these conditions over the course of growth – is much more important in determining the final product.

In fact, the active substances within a single flush of mushrooms can vary more than between different strains.

Interest in different strains of magic mushrooms has been artificially inflated over the years due to smartshop marketing tactics. Prior to the ban on magic mushrooms in the Netherlands in 2007, there was little interest in specific strains, with customers having only the choice between ‘Mexican’ or ‘Hawaiian’ mushrooms. With the ban, grow kits became the replacement product, and marketing experts – often with little knowledge of the product – began to invent reasons for selling the same product at different prices and/or under different names.