Skill level Beginner
Grow location Outdoors
Spawn shelf life 6 months (refrigerated)
Incubation 6-12 months
Fruiting temps 55-70°F
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is a nutritious mushroom that produces medium-to-large, brown, umbrellashaped caps that tend to fruit throughout the summer to fall growing season. They are a delicious edible fungus from East Asia and their flavor is often described as rich, savory, buttery, and umami. Shiitake tends to produce generous flushes and they are a great mushroom for beginners. They colonize quickly and are the most reliable producers of any species.