Ready to geek out and learn a little more? There are many varieties/subvarieties of cubensis mushrooms native to the country of Costa Rica. Many of these varieties look similar and it has become common to use the names “Costa Rica” and “Arenal Volcano” interchangeably. This, however, is incorrect.

The original Arenal Volcano specimen was discovered by mycologist “Rhino” in a pasture at the base of the Arenal volcano in northwestern Costa Rica during the late spring of 2016. The Arenal Volcano cubensis differs from other Costa Rican varieties due to the conditions in which it was found growing.

You see, the Arenal Volcano specimen was found at the end of the Costa Rican dry season; 2-3 weeks before any other Cubensis mushrooms emerged! This explains how the true Arenal Volcano variety shows extreme vigor in both colonization and fruiting stages. More importantly, Arenal Volcano displays these qualities even in the face of suboptimal conditions.

**Descriptions and images provided for informational and educational purposes ONLY**