Some mushrooms can be cultivated from commercially available spawn either as dowels, grain inoculated spawn or as truffle trees. For convenience, suppliers also offer fungus box kits (some are for indoor cultivation), outdoor kits, inoculated logs and toilet roll kits. Mushrooms cultivated for culinary value and as medicinal benefit include:
Nameko
- Agaricus bisporus and its variants
- Agaricus blazei (Almond Mushroom)
- Agaricus brunnescens (Portabella)
- Auricularia auricula-judae (Jew’s Ear)
- Auricularia polytricha
- Hypholoma capnoides
- Lepista nuda (Wood Blewit)
- Lepista saeva (Field Blewit)
- Galerina mutabilis
- Lentinus edodes (Shiitake)
- Pholiota nameko (Nameko)
- Two species of the genus Hericium
- Coprinus comatus (Shaggy Ink Cap)
- Sparassis crispa (Cauliflower Fungus)
- Two species of the genus Hypsizygus
- Polyporus squamosus (Dryads Saddle)
- Agrocybe cylindracea (Black Poplar Mushroom or Pioppino)
- A number of species and variants of the genus Pleurotus
- Flammulina velutipes (Velvet Shank or Enokitake)
- Stropharia rugoso-annulata (Wine Cap Mushroom)
- Grifola frondosa (Hen of the Woods or Maitake)
- Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken of the Woods)
- Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Chi)
- Several species of the genus Tuber (Truffles)
- Several species of the genus Morchella (Morels)
- Trametes versicolor (many-zoned Polypore or Turkey Tail)
Maitake
Some mushrooms are also cultivated for curiosity value.
These include:
- Panellus stipticus
- Omphalotus illudens (Jack O’Lantern)
- Lampteromyces japonicus (Moonlight Mushroom)
Enokitake
Reishi
Thanks to Clifford Davy of Forest Foragers.
