If you thought you were pretty confident on the basics of growing psilocybin-containing mushrooms—well, it’s time to take ideas like sterility, aseptic technique and control, drag them out back and throw them in the mud, because we want to introduce you to wood-loving Psilocybes.
Much of what you learn about wood-lovers might offend the temperament of the seasoned Psilocybe cubensis grower, with contamination and mycelium sitting happily side by side, and old monotubs left for months outdoors to do their own thing. While growing wood-lovers can really test your patience at times, it’s probably the cultivation process from which you’ll learn the most about mushroom ecology, and it's a hugely rewarding jumping off point into general biodiversity and how mushrooms fit within our natural environment.
Wood is composed of a variety of organic compounds, including lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose—as well as resins found in the sap. Lignin in particular is found in a higher proportion in trees than in leafy green plants like grasses or flowers, and is what gives wood its characteristic strength. Lignin is also relatively rot resistant, as many bacteria associated with breaking down dead matter lack the ability to digest it. The same is true for most of the Psilocybe species we often discuss. Wood-loving Psilocybe species, as well as a whole host of other fungi broadly termed “white-rot fungi,” play a vital role in breaking down these compounds, helping to turn dead trees back into the soil they came from.
With over 100 species in the genus Psilocybe, examples can be found in a range of habitats all around the world, from grassy pastures (Psilocybe semilanceata) to the dung of animals (Psilocybe cubensis), even in the debris of landslides (Psilocybe caerulescens, Psilocybe muliercula, Psilocybe guilartensis). Wood-loving (or lignicolous, the scientific word for “living on wood”) Psilocybes can be found on every continent, adapted to the various woody habitats they find themselves in.
Some species, like Psilocybe cyanescens, are more generalist consumers of wood and, though growing in natural forests, they have been spread around the world in landscaping mulch that forms the horticultural equivalent of call-center holding muzak in urbanized areas for those that want nature without the fuss of actual wild plants growing. Others, like the weird-looking Psilocybe weraroa, grow natively in New Zealand forests, and haven’t been found growing naturally anywhere else in the world.
When deciding what wood-lovers you’d like to try growing, consider which species are native to your location and therefore what substrate they prefer. In this endeavor, you very much benefit from working with nature, not against it.
Wood-loving Psilocybes can be consumed just like any other psilocybin-containing mushroom. We must warn you, however, that these mushrooms are notoriously potent, so consider reducing your dose until you’ve figured out how your particular batch hits.
From a harm reduction perspective, the considerations for consuming wood-lovers are mostly the same as for any other species, with one notable exception—the slightly startlingly-named Wood-Lover’s Paralysis (WLP). This is a condition that some people briefly experience when they consume certain wood-loving species, but it can be frightening. It’s not quite as bad as it sounds, we promise.
The first report of what sounds like WLP was in Japan in 1973 with Psilocybe subcaerulipes, also known as Hikageshibiretake, which translates to “shadow numbness mushroom" (can you see where this is going?). A researcher called Yokoyama carried out an experiment:
Each person ate 5 or 6 basidiomata fresh and then ate them cooked. Thirty minutes after eating the mushrooms, three of the four subjects (one felt nothing) felt paralyzed in their limbs, sweated profusely, then reported color hallucinations.
To date, WLP has attracted little scientific interest, likely due to difficulties in designing experiments (people tend not to line up to maybe get paralyzed!) and the red tape involved with studying anything to do with controlled substances. The condition has been discussed in many forum posts and is starting to be picked up by new outlets, as well as some scientific papers. A 2021 survey conducted by Symon Beck and Caine Barlow at the Psychedelic Mushrooms of Australia and New Zealand (PMANZ), and the Australian Psychedelic Society (APS) is probably the most comprehensive study of people's experiences of this mysterious condition at the time of writing.
WLP is usually characterized by a period of muscle weakness or paralysis that occurs a few hours after consumption, but symptoms have been reported to begin up to a day later. This condition is most often felt in the extremities (legs, arms and hands) but also sometimes in the face. Those who have experienced WLP most often report that it affects their ability to walk, making it difficult to stand up, or in rare cases causing a fall. A few have also reported difficulty swallowing or breathing. The symptoms can last a few hours, but some report feeling a little unsteady or weak up to a few days later. Allergies or other medical conditions don’t appear to be linked to increasing an individual's risk of WLP.
Despite its sounding like a fairly serious condition, most of those surveyed by PMANZ/APS reported only mild distress, and only a few participants said they would avoid consuming a similar species of mushroom again. Though some sought help for WLP (from trip sitters or medical professionals), most didn’t, citing feeling prepared and safe or simply that their symptoms weren’t that big of a deal.
The growing of wood-lovers will challenge everything you know about mushroom growing, and will make you a much better grower in the process. Find out all about growing wood-lovers in the expanded second edition of The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible, pre-orders are linked at the end of this post.
Do you have any experience with wood-lovers, or does the idea of WLP put you off? Do you have any questions about them? Let us know in the comments below.
This post is an extract from the expanded and updated second edition of best-selling The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible, forthcoming from Green Candy Press now.