Magic mushrooms are fungi with psychedelic properties. There are hundreds of species of psychedelic shrooms.  In fact, there are 227 accepted and classified species. Around ~120 of these are members of the Psilocybe genus, most of which contain the psychoactive substances psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. 

22 of the 227 grow in the USA and Canada. If you want to read all about all the strains, we built this magic mushroom 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. 

But back to business, you want to find some shrooms in Canada?

So first off, you need to need where to look. The more you know about what a particular fungus likes, the faster and easier it will be to find them.

What are the optimal conditions for Magic Mushrooms to grow?

Looking for shrooms in locations with the right medium, the light, humidity and temperature, maximize your odds of finding the prize, and minimize the chance of you coming home empty handed.

• Medium: shrooms thrive in decaying matter like compost, mulch, soil that is heavily mixed with manure, dung, or decomposing bark.
• Light: Some species require no light, but species like cubensis need some light for healthy growth. Generally indirect light is best.
• Moisture: moisture is key for psilocybin mushrooms to bear fruit. So look for damp environments.
• Temperature: Most mushrooms grow best at an even temperature of about ~15°C (~60°F). They don't grow well below 10°C (50°F) or above 20°C (68°F).  Generally, you're looking for cooler environments which enable the fruiting bodies to grow.

What do you identify magic Mushrooms?

Given how many strains there are (hundreds), there’s no quick way to identify them.

Having said that, many species of the Psilocybe genus do share several distinctive characteristics.

Generally speaking, most magic mushrooms have a thin gelatinous film on the mushroom cap. When bruised, the mushrooms produce a blue coloring. Rub your finger nail up and down the mushroom stem, and normally after a short while, a blue color will appear.

Where to Find Magic Mushrooms in Canada

There's a huge variety of wild magic mushrooms that grow Canada.

They can be found in many different habitats, including: forests, fields, and meadows. They typically grow on decaying wood or leaf litter. In some cases, they can also be found growing on dung. In terms of time of year, they can be found in the spring, summer and fall, depending on the type of mushroom and location.

One of the most famous types is the white mushroom (B. edulis) with a brown cap and thick stem. Although not a Psilocybe species, they are one of the highest potency psychedelic mushrooms. They have a relatively low amount of psilocybin produce a shorter psychedelic trip than other varietals. White mushrooms and their relatives are fleshy mushrooms that grow in woodlands, forests, and roadsides.

Liberty caps, or Psilocybe semilanceata, are among the best-known and most popular magic mushroom species. Small but mighty; liberty caps are one of the most potent types of psychedelic mushrooms. These slender, bell-capped stems with dark nipples are saprobic species most commonly found in wet grasslands, sometimes close to animal dung. They fruit in fall and spring, and can also be found in temperate areas of Canada.

When looking for psychedelic mushrooms, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to know what you are looking for. if at all possible, go with an experienced forager to accurately identify shrooms. The risk of mis-identifying magic mushrooms, which can look indistinguishable from poisonous mushrooms, is ever present. 

Erowid has a great resource for identifying the right ones  and Mycotopia is a great online community where you can consult with other psychonauts. 

Foraging Magic Mushroom in BC

British Columbia is known for its abundance of mushrooms. The forests of British Columbia are like Canada's champagne region for psychedelics. it's known for its temperate climate with warm summers, (mostly) mild winters, and a plenty of rainfall and humidity—which mushrooms love.

When the rain and humidity starts to set in at the end of summer, mushrooms begin fruiting. Plentiful psilocybin species flourish in BC and the pacific northwest, including...

• Cubes or Gold Caps (P. cubensis)
• Liberty Caps (P. semilanceata)
• Wavy Caps (​​P. cyanescens)
• Blue Ringers (P. stuntzii)
• Bottle Caps (P. baeocystis)
• P. allenii
• P. azurescens

Foragers will find many of these species fruiting during late September to October after rain or heavy dew, with some making sporadic appearances throughout winter and until early spring.

Foraging Magic Mushrooms in Ontario

So what about Ontario?

First off, In Ontario, there are laws on where you can forage. Foraging wild mushrooms in Ontario is restricted to private land and Crown land where food gathering is permitted.

Ontario has over 5,000 species of mushrooms. As in BC, some species are edible, others are poisonous, and some are magic.

Generally speaking, if you live in the city you'll want to take a trip out. Explore the hardwood forests, wooded areas and trail systems. Any one of these places could work. For example...

• Muskoka
• Stratford
• Haliburton
• Durham

Mushrooms in Ontario thrive in the fall, and both magic and culinary species alike crop up in droves after cool, autumnal rains.

In addition to BC and Ontario , you can find shrooms in Newfoundland, Quebec, rural Nova Scotia and the Maritimes. There are several sites can be useful resource for identifying species in your specific region in Canada.

Shroomery has a thorough list of all the species of psilocybin shrooms you can find growing in countries around the world and states around the USA. 

Citizen science resources like Mushroom Observer, iNaturalist, and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) are all well worth checking out. Keep in mind most of the locations are obscured and serve as hints Vs specific locations.

Magic Mushroom Foraging Tools

Foraging for mushrooms is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy nature while also getting some exercise and learning about the local flora. It can be an incredibly peaceful and calming experience, and whats not to like about harvesting your own supply straight from nature?

There are a few things you'll need to get started.

1. Ideally, you'll need a good guidebook that covers the local area where you'll be foraging. There are also tons of resources online for this. Deciding what shroom you want to look for and learning about it is the first step. The more you know about what a particular fungus likes, the faster and easier it will be to find them.
2. You'll also want to take a basket or bag to collect the mushrooms in - ideally one made of mesh material so spores re-populate the forest floor. 
3. You'll need a knife to help you cut the mushrooms from their stems.
4. Some people also like to wear gloves, to protect the mushrooms and protect your hands from sharp edges and poison ivy etc.
5. A windbreaker to help keep you dry. 

With these tools in hand, you're ready to start your mushroom foraging adventure.

Couple of other things to remember:

Don’t pick old, over-ripe or bug damaged mushrooms. Best to just leave these mushrooms as they are.

Consider the Environment and Sustainability. The golden rule when foraging is only what you need, and leave some for others. Over foraging can have serious consequences of local ecosystems and local people. You should also be aware of the risk of environmental contamination. Consider how the growing system interacts with its environment.

Toronto and Vancouver have lots of parks and ravines you could potentially find some shrooms in. But roadways can introduce all sorts of mild pollutants: car fluids, salt runoff, chemical snow treatments, and asphalt. Mushrooms consume food in the system in which they live - do you want to consume what that organism consumes?

Buying Shrooms online

If you don't want to venture into the great outdoors, there are plenty of ways to buy shrooms online in Canada.

The variety of form factors and product types is typically huge, from raw mushrooms to shroom chocolate.   

Be Aware of the Local Laws

Given magic mushrooms are illegal to cultivate or possess for personal consumption in most places, foraging for shrooms can carry legal risks.

Whilst the act of foraging for wild mushrooms is legal, deliberately foraging for magic mushrooms containing psilocybin may not be.

Yes, this is dumb. Imagine the hubris of of a tiny group of humans making something that naturally grows everywhere illegal to pick and enjoy?

Regardless, proceed with caution.

Foraging for magic mushrooms can be great fun. Just make sure you prepare - happy hunting!