4 Best Magic Mushroom Strains: Our Take

With countless magic mushroom varieties available and new ones being discovered in the wild and cultivated in mycology labs all the time, picking a magic mushroom spore strain for miscroscopy research if you’re curious about these psychedelics can be overwhelming.

But don’t worry, PNW Spore is here to help. In this blog post, we’ll share our top 4 favorite magic mushroom strains for microscopy study, which we choose based on several factors, including spore print characteristics, mushroom potency, effects, and how popular they are.

Microscopy research focuses on the first life cycle stage of these mushroom spores. It is fascinating to learn what the scientific community has been discovering about the individual characteristics of different cultivars. Psychedelic experiences and effects are well documented in studies around the world where these mushrooms are legalized. Legal disclaimer: Please note that spore cultivation is still illegal in most U.S. states.

What Are the Most Popular Magic Mushroom Strains?

Contents:

1. Golden Teacher

2. Penis Envy

3. B+

4. Tidal Wave

Before we get into the various magic mushroom strains and their effects, you should know that there are 200+ species of magic mushrooms, including Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe azurescens (renowned for being one of the world’s most potent magic mushrooms), Psilocybe mexicana, and Panaeolus cyanescens.

Each of these species has hundreds of strains that contain psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin, the psychoactive ingredients in magic mushrooms that cause profound mind-altering effects.

Among the many different magic mushroom species, Psilocybe cubensis is by far the most popular, and it also has the widest range of unique magic mushroom strains to choose from.

So we’ll focus more on the strains within that magic mushroom species in this post.

1. Golden Teacher

This mushroom derives its name from the golden-yellow colored cap it produces during maturity and its potential to present users with remarkable insights and new perspectives about their lives. Golden Teacher produces beautiful spore prints, presenting a dark brown to purplish hue.

It has been utilized for spiritual and medical purposes for millennia. For example, it’s speculated that Golden Teacher or a similar P. Cubensis strain was used to treat a variety of illnesses in early Mesoamerican cultures, including fevers, headaches and paralysis. Religious leaders and shamans also believed that by consuming the mushrooms, they could converse with gods and supernatural entities.

Today, psilocybin studies demonstrate that the psilocybin present in Golden Teacher and other magic mushrooms can help treat several mental conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

This extremely sought-after Psilocybe cubensis mushroom strain is thought to have average potency and is appropriate for first-time magic mushroom users.

Some primary effects described by Golden Teacher consumers include euphoria, heightened self-awareness, mild visual effects, relaxation, spontaneous laughter, and increased creativity. Many musicians, artists, and authors have reported taking these mushrooms to unlock their creative potential and discover their inner selves.

In some users, Golden Teacher mushrooms can cause unwanted side effects such as anxiety and nausea.

This mushroom strain, believed to have originated in the U.S. Gulf region, has been in circulation since the 1980s, and mycologists have recently started to produce novel Golden Teacher strains such as Ghost, True Albino Teacher, and MVP.

2. Penis Envy

Penis Envy is one of the world’s most well-known magic mushroom strains, loved by many psychedelic enthusiasts for its high potency.

The mushrooms are reputed to have 50%+ more psilocybin than other Psilocybe cubensis mushroom strains, and users generally experience intense euphoria, vivid visual hallucinations, brain clarity, incredible happiness, enhanced energy levels, and perspective on personal difficulties.

Terence McKenna, an ethnobotanist, discovered the fungus growing deep in the Colombian Amazon rainforest in the early 1970s while on a journey to the jungle in search of psychotropic mushrooms.

McKenna shared the mushroom’s spores with a mycologist in Washington who developed the Penis Envy strain that exists today.

Other Penis Envy strains, including Penis Envy Uncut, Penis Envy #6, and Albino Penis Envy, have been created all over the world, improving on the potency of the original strain, and – most importantly for microscopy research – the ability to drop spores for prints.

If you’re wondering about the name Penis Envy, it’s because the bulbous cap of this magical mushroom remains close to its swollen stem, making it resemble the male body part it’s named after.

3. B+

The B+ mushroom strain is well-known for its big, light-colored mushrooms, which can reach up to 16 inches in height and have spherical caps up to 4 inches in diameter, which can produce huge, dark brown, and dense spore prints.

Mr. G, a Florida-based legend in the magic mushroom space, is said to have developed it some 30 years ago by combining Psilocybe azurescens and Psilocybe cubensis mushroom species.

If you’re new to psychedelic mushrooms and microscopy, the B+ strain is highly recommended as a starting point. The magic mushroom is sufficiently potent to deliver similar sensations to other Psilocybe cubensis strains, including hallucinations, euphoria, and a general feeling of warmth and wellness, but in a more pleasant and level-headed manner. 

Highly potent magic mushroom strains, such as Penis Envy, can be too strong for a first-timer, and the experience may not be thrilling or under their control.

4. Tidal Wave

Different magic mushroom strains have varying quantities of psilocybin, which, remember, is the active ingredient responsible for psychedelic effects.

Tidal Wave has the most psilocybin content of any Psilocybe Cubensis mushroom strain, making it extremely potent; it currently holds the Psilocybin Cup record for most potency, and is a fantastic strain to study its spores under the microscope.

The Psilocybin Cup is like a World Series for magic mushrooms, where growers submit strain samples for testing, which are then ranked based on potency.

Users experience spectacular hallucinogenic visuals, intense euphoria, a body high and mental clarity due to Tidal Wave’s high psilocybin levels, which kick in rapidly and linger for several hours after taking the mushroom.

This recently developed magic mushroom strain is a cross between Penis Envy and the B+ strain of Psilocybe cubensis. It shares characteristics with its parents, including a large golden top like B+ and a thick white stem like the Penis Envy. True Penis Envy mushrooms are very inconsistent when it comes to dropping spores, but this hybrid has the ability to produce large, dense, and beautifully “wavy” spore prints. The Penis Envy strain is responsible for its high potency.

As previously stated, there are so many different strains of magic mushrooms that it is difficult to adequately discuss all of them in a single post, but here are a few more popular strains.

• • Jedi Mind F*ck is a Psilocybe cubensis magic mushroom strain that emerged in the 2000s. It is incredibly potent and popular among recreational psychedelic mushroom users.

• • Cambodian Gold: This small-bodied mushroom with a brown cap, named after the country where it was discovered, offers users lots of energy and innovative thinking.

• • Yeti is a white variety that first surfaced in the realm of psychedelic mushrooms roughly four years ago. It was named one of the top five most potent mushrooms in the Spring 2022 Psilocybin Cup.

• • Pearly Gates: This mushroom was also ranked among the most potent mushrooms in the Spring 2022 Psilocybin Cup. It is completely white with a thick stem, and minimal doses produce strong psychedelic effects.

Buy Your Mushroom Spores from a Trusted Source

Are you looking for spore syringes for magic mushroom strains? We’ve got all of the leading P. Cubensis varieties right here for microscopy and taxonomy research experience.

PNW Spore is a leading online seller of mushroom spore syringes in North America, offering a large selection of high-quality spores from popular magic mushroom strains like Penis Envy, B+, Golden Teacher and Mazatapec to help you begin your adventure into mycology research – and we also have top gourmet & medicinal mushroom spore cultures in stock for home growing. We offer fast order processing and free standard shipping on orders over $100.

PLEASE NOTE: while purchasing magic mushroom spores is legal in the United States, it is important to remember that magic mushroom cultivation is outlawed in many countries, including most U.S. states. Please review your local laws to make sure you’re following regulations correctly.