Magic mushroom & truffle strain guide

The strain most growers start with, and many keep coming back to. It shrugs off temperature swings and small hygiene slips, and its golden-brown caps make it easy to see when a flush is ready.

Big, sturdy mushrooms with caramel caps and a very tolerant nature. A logical next strain after Golden Teacher — or the first one if size matters to you.

Named in honour of Terence McKenna. Thick-stemmed, dense fruits and a reputation for being stronger than the average cubensis, while staying just as easy to grow.

Originally found near the temples of Angkor Wat. One of the quickest cubensis strains to colonise and pin, which suits first-time and impatient growers alike.

Traced back to the Mazatec region of Oaxaca, Mexico, where mushrooms have a long ceremonial history. A steady, medium-sized producer with very little drama.

Collected in the Ecuadorian highlands, where nights are cool. That background makes it more tolerant of lower room temperatures than most cubensis strains.

South American genetics that flush reliably in ordinary room conditions. A no-nonsense kit strain for anyone who wants a dependable harvest.

Thai lines such as Ban Hua and Koh Samui grow tall with relatively small caps and like it warm. A good match if your grow spot regularly sits above 24 °C.

One of the original cubensis lines in cultivation. Produces many smaller fruits per flush and stays compact, which suits small spaces. Escondido is a regional variant.

Vigorous Amazon-basin genetics. Colonises aggressively once it gets going and rewards you with large, heavy fruits.

Wide, rounded caps that really do look like little pumpkins. Pins heavily and produces big flushes — one of the best performers in a ready-to-grow kit.

Isolated from Hawaiian collections. Fruits tend to be smaller and denser, and it rewards a clean, well-controlled setup.

Named after the grower behind the PF Tek, the method that made home cultivation accessible to everyone. A straightforward cubensis for your own spore work.

A Strain is a fast, prolific cubensis; Albino A is its white, pigment-free sibling. Both available as spore prints.

A white version of the Teacher line, also sold as Albino Golden Teacher. The same easy-going growth, but without the golden pigment: ghostly fruits that bruise blue-grey.

The PE family is known for thick, dense mushrooms with small caps and above-average strength. Slower to grow and low on spores, so patience is part of the deal.

A selected APE line bred for more predictable results than the original. Easier to fruit, with the same albino PE character.

A cross of Albino Penis Envy and True Albino Teacher. Icy white fruits with frosty gills — one of the most photogenic strains we sell.

A PE-derived strain, offered here in its leucistic and albino forms. Dense and slow; best kept for growers with a few successful harvests behind them.

A white strain with chunky fruits and pale gills. Grows more slowly than the classics, but rewards the wait.

A pure-white albino cubensis named after the grower who isolated it. Offered as a spore swab.

Pale caps that turn strongly blue at the slightest touch. A cross bred for looks as much as for strength.

Originally from the southern United States. Grows in tight clusters and bruises an intense blue.

Short, stocky fruits with speckled caps and a prolific habit. An easy way into the more unusual genetics.

A tightly clustering strain named after the Hindu idea of creative energy. Many fruits per flush.

Warm brown caps with a creamy edge. A reliable fruiter that is a little more unusual than the classics.

A big, aggressive grower with chunky fruits. Good if you want size from less common genetics.

A lesser-known cubensis with a loyal following among collectors. Offered as a spore swab for your own isolation and spore work.

A cross between two Psilocybe species, recognisable by the yellow centre (umbo) on its cap. Grows on standard grain and substrate.

A selected line of the South African species formerly known as Natalensis, chosen for its strength. Grows on standard grain, much like a robust cubensis.

The species behind many magic truffles. Grows small, delicate mushrooms and, under the right conditions, sclerotia below the surface.

A Mexican species that wants hardwood-rich substrate and high humidity. Wavy caps and intense bruising; a project for advanced growers. Substrate: hardwood.

A different genus with grey-white caps and black gills. Needs a dung- or manure-based substrate and a warm, humid environment. Substrate: dung.

Medium-strength truffles that sit between the mild classics and the stronger selections.

A stronger truffle for people who already know how they respond to the milder types.

Among the strongest truffles we offer, intended for experienced users only.

Formerly sold as High Hawaiians. A strong truffle with a visual reputation.

A newer addition to the truffle range.

Slow, woody growth on hardwood that ends in lacquered red-brown fruits. Used in East Asian tradition for centuries. Substrate: hardwood.

Forms white, icicle-like spines on hardwood blocks. Also an excellent culinary mushroom. Substrate: hardwood.