If you live somewhere where you are able to legally forage for magic mushrooms, or you are just a mycology enthusiast willing to find out more about these specific types of mushrooms, then read on. In this article, we are going to discuss in some detail where magic mushrooms grow.
There is a long history of magic mushroom use in many cultures throughout the world. Traditionally, they have been taken as a spiritual aide, a medical balm, a psychological tool, and for recreation. While the legality of psilocybin mushrooms varies around the world, with some countries listing them as a Class I or Class A drug and others allowing the free and open use of them to anyone over 18, there is no doubt that they hold a revered place in popular culture for many people.
Africa
We’ll be taking this primarily by continent, so let’s first start with Africa. Of course, the continent of Africa is vast and has a number of different types of climate, which means that you can expect many different types of mushroom to grow there. At the northern and southern edges of the continent, there is more of a Mediterannean climate. Throughout Africa there are many magic mushrooms types, including a number that are not of the Psilocybe genus.
One type of magic mushroom known as the Plutus Salicinus can be found throughout many parts of Africa growing on wood, such as dead woods and hardwoods and so on. These might also be found in damp forests and on flood plains, but wherever you find them, they will generally appear only during the summer.
Another common type of magic mushroom that grows in Africa is the Panaeolus Bisporus, which – in a similar vein to many other kinds of mushrooms, and magic ones in particular – grows on dung, specifically buffalo and cattle dung. Sometimes it can also be found on manured soil. In patches of woods you might also find the psychoactive mushroom Gymnopilus Junonius, or the Panaeolus Cinctulus in places where there are a lot of horses with hay being left out in the sun.
As you can see, Africa has many different types of magic mushroom, and if you know what you are looking for you can find them in every corner of the continent.
Asia
With Asia you have quite a different climate altogether, with a very dry interior and a very wet outside region all around, especially in the lower parts. You also have the famous monsoon seasons, which increases the dampness a lot and is something that can really help a lot of different species of mushroom to grow. There are not as many varieties of magic mushrooms in Asia as there are in Africa, but there are still a few types that can be found. Needless to say, the legality of these mushrooms is generally illegal throughout Asia, with some very harsh penalties involved in most Asian countries.
It might be helpful to take a look at a few of the specific countries in Asia where you can find magic mushrooms growing. These are places where you are likely to have the most luck finding these psychoactive mushrooms.
Cambodia
As a tropical country with lots of rain, Cambodia is home to many mushrooms, a good many of them magic. In particular, it is one of the homes of the Gymnopilus sp., which are the most common magic mushrooms throughout Asia.
China
China has a vast array of different types of vegetation. That always means you can expect many kinds of mushrooms to grow there, and that is certainly true of China, which has a great deal of magic mushrooms that might be foraged. In particular, you could find the Gymnopilus junonius and the Gymnopilus sp., as above.
India
The list of magic mushrooms one can find in India is truly incredible, and is probably the longest list of any Asian country. Many of the magic mushrooms that grow in India are of the Psilocybe genus, which is the same genus as the mushrooms that most of us in the West are familiar with. You can find the Cubensis, Indica, and Semilanceata, in particular – three which might be known to North Americans and Europeans, too.
Japan
If you were to go searching around Japan for magic mushrooms, you could come across a good many there too, including a range of psilocybin mushrooms which you can’t find in many other places, and certainly not here in the West, such as the Psilocybe capitulata, the Psilocybe septentrionalis, the Psilocybe subaeruginascens, and the Psilocybe venenata.
Thailand
Thailand has a few magic mushroom varieties, but not as many as those listed above. In particular, it is known to have extremely stringent laws, and any keen mycologist merely picking these mushrooms for intrigue or research could still land themselves in jail for many years.
Europe
Europe on the whole has a much more liberal approach to the collection and use of these mushrooms, especially as it is one of the parts of the world where research is carried out with psilocybin mushrooms. And of course you have countries like the Netherlands, where usage of magic mushrooms even in a recreational setting is all but decriminalized. What’s more, Europe has a lot of wet weather, but also a lot of sun, making it more or less an ideal spread of habitats for many kinds of magic mushrooms. Wherever you happen to be in Europe, you can certainly find magic mushrooms if you know what you are looking for.
The most common type of magic mushroom throughout Europe is the Psilocybin Semilanceata, otherwise known as the Liberty Cap for its distinctive nipple-like tip. This mushroom can be found in great swathes over the continent, in places as diverse as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, and even Iceland. As such, it is the most commonly recognized magic mushroom in Europe, in both a recreational sense and in medicine and research.
The semilanceata can be found primarily in high, north-facing pastures throughout the Autumn, usually from late September until the first frost in November or even December. Although it tends to require land which has cattle or sheep grazing, unlike many magic mushrooms it does not grow on the dung of the animals itself, but rather in long tufts of grass.
There are many other types of magic mushroom that grow throughout Europe, including the Panaeolus cinctulus and the infamous Amanita Muscaria, otherwise known as the Fly Agaric, or the Alice in Wonderland mushroom. This mushroom can be found in almost every country in the Northern Hemisphere, making it one of the most widespread mushrooms in the world – yet finding one is actually a rare event. However, it’s important to bear in mind that, while also causing hallucinations, this mushroom is highly toxic.
North America
Let’s now turn our attention to North America. As the third largest continent, North America is prone to many kinds of climate and weather, and as such that means that many kinds of mushroom do indeed grow there. That naturally includes a wide variety of magic mushroom. Let’s take a look at a few of the North American countries where you can expect to find magic mushrooms.
USA
The USA has such a huge diversity of environment, so it’s hardly surprising that there are so many types of magic mushroom growing across the country. In the southeastern states you particularly find a good deal of the Liberty Caps known throughout the northern hemisphere, but not many other kinds of magic mushroom. Throughout the rest of the States, there are many other kinds of hallucinogenic mushrooms to be found, including the famous and widely used Cubensis.
Canada
In Canada, the change in climate can happen quite fast, and the soil tends to be altered with it. There are plenty of coniferous forests, which means that various magic mushrooms can easily grow throughout the country. As well as the semilanceata and the cubensis, Canada is home to a huge variety of other magic mushrooms, many of them of the Psilocybe genus. But there are also the Conocybe kuehneriana, the Gymnopilus junonius, and the Gymnopilus luteofolius too.
Mexico
There is such a wide range in temperatures throughout Mexico, which means that the flora and fauna varies a lot as well. That is good news for those seeking out magic mushrooms, and indeed there are many types that you can find throughout Mexico if you know where to look. In particular, you are able to find a huge range of Psilocybe mushrooms – around 20 species, in fact – as well as the Paneolus fimicola, the Panaeolus cyanescens, and the Panaeolus venezolanas.
As you can see, magic mushrooms of all types grow all over the world. If you are foraging for them, remember the golden rule: if you are not one hundred percent as to the mushroom you are looking at, don’t even touch it. As long as you follow that rule, you should stay safe.