Psilocybin mushrooms are leading the revival of psychedelics worldwide. In recent years, several states and countries have even started campaigning to decriminalize shrooms for personal use.
You can find wild shrooms in many places around the globe, but some poisonous varieties exist. It’s vital to know how to identify the right ones.
Where do mushrooms grow, and how can you learn how to best forage for them?
Keep reading to learn about the locations of our favorite fungi. Increase your foraging knowledge and discover the best environments so you can become a multi-faceted mycologist.
There are around 14,000 recorded species of mushrooms, and they grow pretty quickly. Magic mushrooms don’t appear in places as common as other types. They require specific conditions and locations, primarily tropical or subtropical areas.
These mushrooms like very humid environments and wet surfaces. Their ideal humidity level is 80% and above, so they grow better in spots that reach these standards. You can also find them in continental or cold areas with the right conditions.
You can find most psilocybin mushrooms growing in places with the following conditions:
Some varieties flourish in cow dung and others in damp fields. The locations can vary, so it’s more important to know what to look out for than to ask, “Where do mushrooms grow?”
Before you embark on your journey, ensure you understand the laws of shroom hunting in your area. Look for local mushroom foraging groups to learn about safe and dangerous varieties.
If you know a mycologist who’s also passionate about where to get shrooms in the wild, bring them with you. Having a mushroom expert on hand will help you identify the right ones.
For example, Psilocybe cubensis, a common species classified as a magic mushroom, is lightly brown and golden when mature. They have a darker brown spot in the mushroom’s center.
These psilocybin mushrooms also have a purple veil with deep purple shades covering the gills. Once the fungus fully expands, this protective layer breaks off. You might see it lying around the stem.
So, where would one start looking?
Knowing where mushrooms grow will save you a lot of time and effort in your pursuit of psychedelic awakening. Across the US, you can find 22 different psilocybin species. Many people have claimed that the Pacific Northwest is the best place to find them.
Other popular areas to find magic mushrooms in the States include:
When looking for psilocybin mushrooms, keep a sharp eye out for these specific attributes along your trail:
Remember to ask beforehand for permission to explore someone’s property. Stick to public-access areas instead during your foraging escapades. Above all, respect your surroundings and don’t disturb natural habitats more than you need to.
Looking for specific shroom species like Golden Teacher may be more challenging, but not if you know where to find them.
Thanks to their shiny gold, ashy red caps with yellow flecks, they’re easy to recognize. They have wide caps and large stems and are among the more popular species of magic shrooms.
Some people have reported the most common locations to find Golden Teacher shrooms are southern America and northern Mexico. They’re pan-tropical, meaning they flourish in tropical areas.
Other reported sites to find these specific fungi include:
Golden Teachers grow in the northern hemisphere between February and December. They flourish in the southern hemisphere between November and April.
As the name suggests, Penis Envy mushrooms are phallic in appearance. They’re less easy to find than other species, but they’re worth it as they’re among the more popular psilocybin varieties.
This type of mushroom is heavier than others, although they’re generally shorter and smaller. They don’t have a veil between the stem and cap, which are underdeveloped compared to other strains.
For this reason, Penis Envy doesn’t grow naturally in the wild, as the founders refined and produced it in a lab. For more information on the history of Penis Envy mushrooms, check out this article.
Going hunting for psilocybin mushrooms can be a magical experience. It’s a fantastic way to get back in touch with the beauty around you.
Your favorite type of fungi is easier to find if you know what you’re looking for. You have an advantage if you live in tropical regions with high humidity and wet forest areas. Understanding where to get shrooms in the wild can save you from finding poisonous varieties.
Connect with local foraging groups to increase your knowledge of mushroom-specific locations. Find someone more experienced and take photos of your findings so you can ask the experts to identify them for you.
You can order spores of magic mushrooms from our shop to conduct your own research under a microscope. While you’re there, check out our blog for more information to boost your knowledge of the different types of shrooms. Impress your friends and become a mycology expert.
Enjoy the journey!
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