(50 Plugs Pack)
Shiitake a symbol of longevity in Asia because of their health-promoting properties, shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years. More recently, their rich, smoky flavor has drawn them to American taste buds and now you can grow these exotic hearty mushrooms on logs with your shiitake mushroom growing plugs.
Like other mushrooms, these specialty mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, or seeds.
Shiitake mushrooms have brown, slightly convex caps that range in diameter from about two to eight inches in diameter. The scientific name for shiitake mushroom is Lentinus edodes.
Other mushrooms with Asia roots that are also becoming more popular are the Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and Maitake (Grofola frondosa). Reishi mushrooms usually have an antler or rounded, fan shape; the most popular type of reishi is red in color, although that is just one of the six colors in which they grow. Maitake mushrooms grow in a formation of clustered brownish fronds of fan-shaped petals and are commonly known as “Hen of the Woods.” These types of mushrooms can also be grow with our other plug spawn we offer on Etsy
Shiitake ( as well as reishi and maitake) mushrooms have grown wild since prehistoric times. Their therapeutic value has been prized in Asian countries, where they originated, for thousands of years. They play a critical role in Asian medicinal traditions and were noted in some of the first books on herbal medicine written thousands of years ago. In the past few decades, these mushrooms have become more popular in the United States as a result of an expanding body of scientific research supporting their numerous health benefits. In addition to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, these mushrooms are currently cultivated in a host of other countries including the United States.
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