Compare the Strongest Magic Truffles and Mushrooms – Use this Selection Guide!

Magic mushrooms and magic truffles can be compared on a number of levels, but the most frequently asked questions are: what are the strongest magic truffles? And which magic mushroom is for beginners? In this article we hope to give you an attractive overview of the differences and similarities between the magic mushrooms and truffles in our collection. We will do our best to keep it up-to-date.

Psilocybe cyanescens.

The Strongest Magic Truffles

You can compare magic truffles in a number of ways. For example by checking which application they are used for the most by our customers. You can also check out respectable websites such as Shroomery, the Psychedelic Review and Erowid when it comes to the differences between types of truffles. 

By strongest truffles we mean how intense the overall experience with the magic truffle is perceived. Please note that dosage, set and setting with magic truffles and magic mushrooms are very important. This has more effect on the experience than the amount of active ingredients in the magic truffle. Therefore we want to put a big disclaimer: all magic truffles can be just as strong. We are not basing this information on how much psilocybin or psilocin is in the magic truffles, but on the subjective experience of others. One type of perception is how visual the experience is. Do you see more patterns with one magic truffle than another? Again, opinions are divided on this. Based on what we read from user experiences, we have mapped this for you in the chart below. Have a look and compare our house brand magic truffles:

Comparing magic mushroom grow kits

When you start growing mushrooms yourself with a magic mushroom grow kit, a number of factors come into play, more than the question "what is the strongest magic mushroom grow kit?". Just how simple is such a grow kit really and what is the expected yield? Are there differences in the growth period of the magic mushrooms? About the yield we can be brief. It depends on the size of the grow kit:

• Small grow kit (250 cc): total of 100 grams in two or three flushes.
• Medium grow kit (1200 cc): total of 400 grams in two or three flushes.
• Large grow kit (2100 cc): total of 700 grams in two or three flushes.

These numbers apply to the cubensis strains. The average yield of the Hawaiians is 100 grams. You can see how it works with those "flushes" in our McKennaii and Golden Teacher grow reports.

For growing time, a high score means a shorter growing time.

The most important differences when choosing a magic mushroom grow kit mainly come from the species / family of the magic mushroom. Without getting overly complex, let's have a look at how magic mushrooms are classified according to biology. 

Psilocybe cubensis

Our Mexicana, Thai, Golden Teacher and McKennaii for example, are all part of the Psilocybe cubensis family. Therefore they have similar scores for ease of cultivation and yield. These magic mushrooms have been further crossed and bred. Somewhat like with weed plants. This creates new subspecies or strains with slightly different characteristics. Think for example of the white dots on the golden cap of the Golden Teacher. The full name for this mushroom is Psilocybe cubensis var. aurumescens. The last Latin word stands for its beautiful color (aurum means gold).

Fresh yield of Golden Teacher (Psilocybe cubensis var. aurumescens).

Our cubensis magic mushroom grow kits have the great advantage of being easy to grow. That's because through years of experience by producers, the instructions are clear, the genetics stable and the manufacturing process of the grow kits standardized. In addition, these magic mushrooms can be grown indoors with few additional operations.

Strongest magic mushrooms

If we include other strains such as the Panaeolus cyanescens and Psilocybe azurescens, we suddenly see very different scores when it comes to yield, growing time and ease of cultivation. These very strong magic mushrooms don't even look like the cubensis species we mentioned above. Just look at the external differences:

From left to right: Psilocybe azurescens, Panaeolus cyanescens, Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe cubensis (Mexicana).

Strong magic mushrooms such as the Pointed Baldhead (Psilocybe semilanceata), Hawaiians / Copelandia (Panaeolus cyanescens) and Psilocybe azurescens grow in different environments and have different preferences than the calibrated cubensis grow kits. 

Recently we have introduced Blue Meanies grow kits. Unique, because until recently these magic mushrooms could only be grown outside. A little sterilized earth is supplied to sprinkle over the grow kit. The soil contains natural nutrients that these magic mushrooms need to grow. You will also need to increase the humidity in the bag every day by spraying the inside of the bag with sterile water using a plant sprayer. This is easy because you can just open the bag and spray. But once the mushrooms are up, they really don't want to absorb a drop of water. Then they can wilt and your yield will look a mess. Therefore, once they're up, you should take a moment to remove the magic mushrooms from the bag with washed hands before spraying.

 Panaeolus cyanescens (Blue Meanies / Copelandia / Hawaiians).

Other magic mushrooms, for the time being, only grow outdoors. Psilocybe azurescens contain more active ingredients than any other magic mushroom. A few of these guys in your gut and you're in for a level 5 trip. What does that mean? Check out the level descriptions below our magic mushroom dosage calculator! Back to growing azurescens. These magic mushrooms grow outdoors. They like to grow on beech wood and in the shade. Also azurescens likes it when there is soil on the top layer; preferably with turf as well. In other words, conditions that are not easy to recreate in a one-liter tupperware container. That is why we call azurescens outdoor magic mushrooms. Who knows, maybe some bright minds will manage to put together a grow kit to easily grow them indoors, but for now growing azurescens is very time consuming.

Psilocybe cubensis var. McKennaii - Easy to grow thanks to standardized process and easy to follow instructions.

Growing time

When it comes to growing time, the magic mushrooms are all very similar. Differences of a few days are involved with the cubensis varieties. But if you're in a hurry and have no growing experience, the Golden Teacher magic mushrooms are a good choice. Significantly faster are the Hawaiians (Panaeolus cyanescens). They can be ready for harvest a week earlier than the cubensis varieties. On the other end of the spectrum are the azurescens outdoor magic mushrooms. Once you have wood chips colonized with spawn, you can "plant" the magic mushrooms. This should preferably be done in March. With a little luck you will have magic mushrooms in your garden in September/October. This seems inconvenient, but the advantage is that azurescens comes back every year, as long as there is nutrition. Every year the strongest magic mushrooms in your garden. That sounds tempting?

How much Psilocybin is there in magic mushrooms?

Until now, there have been a handful of researches on the absolute numbers when it comes to the strength of magic mushrooms. There are at least four substances in magic mushrooms and magic truffles that have a psychedelic effect: psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystine and norbaeocystine. Psilocybin is converted in the body into psilocin and this stuff eventually gives the psychedelic effects that magic mushrooms are known for. Baeocystine is an analogue of psilocybin. This means that the substances are very similar, but slightly different. Funny to know is that where psilocybin is forbidden, baeocystine is not always marked as an illegal substance.

What all these different studies show is that there is a great deal of variation. For example, in one study a psilocybin content in Psilocybe cubensis of 0.37% to 1.30% of the dry weight has been measured [1]. In another study up to 1.36% psilocin has been found, but only trace amounts in other measurements during that study [2]. However, the Japanese studies do agree on the ratio. Copelandia, or Panaeolus cyanescens contain more freely absorbable psilocin than psilocybin, which is first converted by the body to psilocin. These mushrooms contain up to more than double the amount of psilocin found in cubensis. That would explain why experiences with these little powerhouses are described as stronger than with cubensis species.

 Psilocybe semilanceata.

One more chart. The following chart [3] shows some figures of average amounts of hallucinogenic substances in different types of magic mushrooms. The percentages together give an indication of the strength of different species, but an x-percent of psilocin is not necessarily comparable with the same amount of psilocybin. Use the chart as a guideline.