Liberty caps mushrooms; They’re really, really strong. 

Psilocybe semilanceata, commonly known as the liberty cap, is a species of fungus which produces the psychoactive compounds psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin. Liberty caps are one of the most potent and popular psilocybin mushrooms out there. They’re popular precisely because they’re so potent. 

This article will teach you about liberty caps, what they look like, where you can get them and what you can do with them.

Quick Summary 

A liberty cap mushroom is a potent psychedelic mushroom that can be found around the world in places like North America, Europe, and Australia. They contain psychoactive compounds which cause hallucinations that send you on a psychedelic trip.

Liberty caps are small, brown mushrooms that have a distinctive looking cap which like to grow in grassy fields and pastures. Using liberty cap mushrooms can cause some unpleasant side effects and it’s illegal in some countries. 

What do liberty cap mushrooms look like?

Liberty caps are small, brown mushrooms that have a very distinct looking cap that looks like a liberty cap. Hence the name “liberty cap”. They have caps that can be described as conical or bell-shaped.  

You should know that liberty caps (Psilocybe Semilanceata) mushrooms look almost identical to Psilocybe Pelliculosa, Panaeolus semiovatus and Panaeolina foenisecii.

Here’s a detailed description of what liberty caps look like: 

• Cap 

The liberty cap mushroom caps are usually bell-shaped or sharply conical. They also usually have a very prominent papilla. These caps are usually anywhere from 5 to 30 mm in diameter and 6 to 22mm tall.

When the caps of the mushroom are dry, their color is a light yellowish brown. When they’re wet, they turn to a darker shade of brown.

The caps of liberty cap mushrooms become sticky when moist. They do not change much with age. 

• Gills

The gills underneath the liberty cap mushrooms cap have moderately crowded gills that number anywhere between 15 to 27. The gills can be pale brown but turn dark gray or purple-brown as the liberty cap grows older.

• Stem

The stem of the liberty cap mushroom can be anywhere from 4 to 5 cm long and 1 to 3.5mm thick. They’re going to be yellowish-brown in color. The stem is usually going to be thicker toward the base of the mushroom.

• Veil

Liberty cap mushrooms have a thin partial veil that looks similar to a cobweb. This partial veil doesn’t last long before it disappears. 

• Spores 

The spores of a liberty cap mushroom are smooth and ellipsoidal.

• Taste 

Liberty caps taste similar to freshly ground flour.

Are there any liberty cap mushroom look-alikes?

Yes, there are a few mushrooms that look incredibly similar to liberty cap mushrooms. 

The Dung Roundhead mushroom (Panaeolus semiovatus) and the Brown Mottlegill mushroom (Panaeolina foenisecii) both look very similar to liberty caps. However, they both have some very slight but noticeable differences as well. 

Where can you find liberty cap mushrooms?

Liberty caps might be the world’s most common psychedelic mushroom. It’s found in many countries, particularly in European countries. 

You can find liberty caps in these countries:

• Turkey
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Spain
• Slovakia
• Russia
• Poland
• Norway
• The Netherlands
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Italy
• Ireland
• Iceland
• Hungary
• Greece
• Germany
• Georgia
• France
• Finland
• The Faroe Islands
• Estonia
• Denmark
• Czech Republic
• The Channel Islands
• Bulgaria
• Belgium
• Belarus
• Austria

Liberty cap mushrooms are abundant in North America. They usually grow a lot in the Pacific Northwest, west of the Cascade Mountains. They’re abundant during autumn as well as early winter. 

Liberty cap mushrooms are not easily found in South America.

Meanwhile, in Canada, liberty cap mushrooms grow in British Columbia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, as well as Ontario. 

Liberty cap mushrooms like to grow in rich, acidic soil which is often found in grassy areas like meadows, pastures and even lawns. They’re especially fond of growing in pastures that have soil fertilized by the dung of sheep or cows. Liberty caps do not grow directly on dung like mushrooms such as Psilocybe cubensis do.

How potent are liberty cap mushrooms?

Liberty caps are one of the most potent psilocybin mushrooms that exist. Only Psilocybe azurescens is considered more potent. However, while Psilocybe azurescens is more potent on average, liberty cap mushrooms have the highest concentration of psilocybin ever reported in a mushroom.

For reference, that concentration was 2.37%.

Because of the potency of liberty caps, it’s generally recommended that you take:

• 0.5 to 1g of the mushroom for a light trip
• 1 to 2g of the mushroom for a decent trip
• 2 to 4 g of the mushroom for a strong trip

Liberty Cap Experiences

Of course, none of the above effects are unique to Liberty Caps,  but common effects of magic mushrooms. 

Erowid's experience vaults are well worth a read to learn about other peoples experiences on liberty cap mushrooms. 

"After about half an hour of tripping in bed my eyes flew open, and I was quite startled to discover that my room was not covered in swathes of colourful textiles as I had imagined when my eyes were closed. As soon as I’d recovered my bearings slightly, I decided to return to a sitting position to converse with A. I struggled to sit up straight in front of my 'table' and instead slouched semi-vertically, clinging on to the keyboard, again in a salvia-like, ultra-gravitational fashion. I was easily distracted and often found myself drifting off into a trippy reverie, and consequently it was quite difficult to read the writing on the computer screen and formulate sentences."

"The feelings began to pour on me, feelings of closeness with the nature, with the birds that were singing, I felt like a fox, praying in the woods, and in the next moment like an eagle crossing the skies. Feelings of wonder, of the pulsing life that was inside me, and inside everything, almost made me cry. I was feeling the connections between every little thing that existed here and something out there in the... void? Words that could describe what I felt in that moment don't exist. I shook my head stunned feeling the urge to go outside of the concrete box I was living in. Closing my eyes while walking in my flat revealed... my flat! When I close my eyes I could see what I could see with opened eyes, but it was a bit different, the colors ran wild, stationary objects seemed to move. It was like I was in an alternative world that is very similar to ours, but still it's a bit different. That feeling persisted on open eyes until the end of the trip."

"First came the patterns, which began as geometric fractals with a distinctly organic feel to them. There weren't really any colors just yet, at least which I can remember, but it didn't take long for everything to ramp up. Once I began to lose myself in the patterns, I noticed I kept losing more and more control over my body and I began to roll around on my bed and drool. Quite honestly, it felt a bit like being a baby again. Of course, my immediate question to this presence was "what are you," to which I immediately received the almost hokey response of "I am you and you are me". Regardless of what I was talking to, I was honestly kinda unimpressed. I wanted to be more certain that this was more than some random new neuronal connection, and that I wasn’t just talking to my pre-frontal cortex, hippocampus, or something. Something that felt so completely alien could not possibly be me, yet on some level it felt as if it had always been there. It was probably just trying to ease me into what was about to happen."

FAQs 

• Should you take liberty cap mushrooms? 

Liberty caps are fine to take as long as you know what you’re getting into. You must always remember that they’re more potent than most other magic mushrooms. 

• Are there any other mushrooms that look like liberty cap mushrooms?

Yes, the Dung Roundhead mushroom and the Brown Mottlegill mushroom both look almost the same as liberty cap mushrooms.

Final Thoughts

Liberty cap mushrooms are some of the most potent magic mushrooms around but they’re also surprisingly common as well as easy to forage. They also have a signature look that makes them easy to spot even if they also have a few look-alikes.

Be aware of the potency of liberty caps and respect these shrooms if you ever decide to use them to go on a trip. 

As with other magic mushrooms, be cautious and respectful - do your research and prepare accordingly. 

As always, we recommend you start with a low dose and make sure you have a proper set and setting.

If you're interested in reading more about other types of magic mushroom, we built this strain library in partnership with some of the top grey market suppliers and mycologists in the country. It’s the result of hundreds of hours of labor, years of experience and the generosity of many many experts in the field. Continuously evolving and 100% free to use.

If you're planning a trip and want some guidance on what the ideal dose is, check out our shroom dosage calculator and this handy guide.