Penis Envy Mushrooms: The Strongest Magic Mushroom with the Funniest Name

• By Sam Woolfe
• This post was approved by mycologist Caine Barlow
• April 14, 2023December 14, 2023
• magic mushrooms mental health penis envy mushrooms Psilocybin Articles psilocybin mushrooms psychedelics
• With 3 comments

Penis envy mushrooms are a famous type of psilocybin-containing mushroom. They are unique among psilocybe cubensis for their high potency, which attracts many people to them.

Psilocybe cubensis are the most common type of psilocybin-containing mushroom. “Cubes,” as the species is referred to, come in various varieties, called “strains.” Some of the more common strains are Golden Teachers, Huatlas, B+, and Cambodians.

Many people who use cubes say it’s hard to tell the difference between different strains. When you eat them, the experience of a Golden Teacher is similar to that of a Cambodian, which is not that different from a B+.

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Yet some strains of psilocybin-containing mushrooms are stronger than others–they have more psilocybin in them.

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Here’s What Penis Envy Mushrooms Look Like

As their name suggests, penis envy mushrooms often have a phallic shape. In many cases, they look very much like a penis. They have a thick and wrinkly stem and are larger than many other types of psilocybin mushrooms. Penis envy mushrooms have a bulbous cap that only sometimes opens up and separates from the very dense stem.

Sometimes, penis envy are short and fat, like those seen in the picture above. Other times, they are long and thick.

In terms of color, they usually range from a light tan to a darker brown, with variations amongst the different types. Penis Envy has been around a long time, and there are now variations of the original variety. As is typical with psilocybin-containing mushrooms, blue bruising on the stem can be an indication of high psilocybin content. They are also identifiable by their underdeveloped cap and, sometimes, the absence of a veil separating the cap and stem.

Penis envy mushrooms are one of the densest types of magic mushrooms. They may be shorter in height and smaller overall than some other species, but they are still relatively heavy mushrooms, owing to their density.

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Varieties of PE Mushrooms

There are different varieties of these mushrooms, and they have distinctive physical characteristics.

• The Albino Penis Envy variety has a milky white coloration, and its caps are sometimes tinged with dark blue. Albino Penis Envy mushrooms tend to be smaller than PE mushrooms on average.
• Penis Envy Uncut mushrooms are distinctive in that their caps do not open at all, not even during the later stages of the mushroom’s maturation.
• Trans Envy mushrooms look similar to a Transkei magic mushroom, with medium-thickness yellow-white stems (these are thicker than Transkei mushrooms but not as thick as PE mushrooms). They have the distinctive pallid cap coloration that penis envy mushrooms are known to possess.

How Long Do Penis Envy Mushroom Trips Last?

A penis envy trip usually lasts an average of four hours. But the length of a trip can depend on multiple factors such as what you’ve eaten that day and the potency of the mushrooms you are consuming. Also, the more psilocybin you eat, the longer a trip lasts.

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How Strong Are PE Mushrooms?

Different strains of psilocybin-containing mushrooms sometimes have different potency. Penis envy can be unusually strong.

Are PE mushrooms strong? The potency of these mushrooms is a hot topic of discussion because it can vary widely. Some people claim that penis envy mushrooms are always 2x or 3x more potent than other typical mushrooms, but that’s not always the case. Some strains labeled penis envy are actually less strong than other strains. Unless you test your mushrooms, there’s no way to be sure. A proxy is to bruise fresh mushrooms with your finger. If they show a lot of blue, there’s a high concentration of psilocybin.

A man who calls himself Psilly Simon grows some of the most powerful cubensis mushrooms in the world. In the fall of 2022, Psilly Simon’s cubes took first place in the “spiritual” category of the Psilocybin Cup, an event put on by Oakland Hyphae, an educational organization. Oakland Hyphae measured Simon’s cubensis, and found Simon’s mushrooms had a super high percentage of psilocybin. They had 22 mg of psilocybin per gram of dried mushroom weight. That was 30 percent more than the next-highest entrant, and between two and four times as much psilocybin as you’ll find a typical cubensis mushroom.

Simon calls his strain of mushrooms shiva lingams. Simon says that the mushrooms themselves told him to call their strain shiva lingam. (Yes, Simon listens to his mushrooms.) Shiva lingam means “sign of Shiva.” Shiva is the Hindu god of generation or creation. Simon says the mushrooms weren’t stoked on the name penis envy.

Whether you call them shiva lingam or anything else, penis envy mushrooms are sometimes more potent than most other Psilocybe cubensis varieties.

Many users find that penis envy mushrooms offer a more intense, visual, and euphoric experience than Psilocybe cubensis varieties.

In the past, it had been theorized that the stronger effect of penis envy mushrooms was due to both a higher concentration of psilocybin and psilocin, and a higher ratio of psilocin to psilocybin. (Psilocybin is the pro-drug of psilocin — psilocybin is converted to psilocin in the body. Psilocin crosses the blood brain barrier and is responsible for the psychedelic effects).

It had been claimed that penis envy mushrooms contained up to 50 percent higher levels of psilocybin/psilocin than Psilocybe cubensis. Yet results from the first few Psilocybin Cups put on by Oakland Hyphae don’t necessarily support that theory. In the fall 2022 competition, strains labeled “penis envy” mushrooms didn’t have noticeably more psilocin in them than other mushroom strains. And penis envy mushrooms didn’t have a higher ratio of psilocin to psilocybin, compared to other strains. Some strains labeled penis envy had no psilocin at all.

Regardless of your shrooms dosage, it is important to have an understanding of how long it takes for shrooms to kick in.

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How to Grow Penis Envy Mushrooms Yourself?

Penis envy mushrooms do not typically grow in the wild. They are a domesticated species and only grow where people cultivate them.

Penis envy mushrooms can grow on any number of substances that range from rye grain (which is the most common and favorite of growers) to even things like coffee and straw. The easiest way to grow these mushrooms is to add some spores to a grow kit, put it in the dark and leave it be. Penis envy mushrooms may grow best on washed cow manure.

How to Take Penis Envy Mushrooms?

Penis envy mushrooms can be eaten raw. Their taste can be quite bitter, though, so many people brew penis envy mushroom tea and often add a little honey to balance the flavor and make it taste better. To make penis envy mushroom tea is easy. First, break the mushrooms up into small pieces (typically 1.5-3 grams — but can be less), place them in a kettle or bowl with your favorite tea bag, and pour boiling water over them. Let it steep for 20 minutes. Pour it into a mug, and feel free to add milk or honey for flavor. Voila.

The Side Effects Of Penis Envy Mushrooms

As with any other type of psychedelic mushroom, penis envy mushrooms can produce a range of physical, perceptual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual effects. These effects include the below.

• Enhancement of colors
• Morphing of objects
• Auditory distortions
• Intense feelings of euphoria and joy
• Deep introspection
• Philosophical thoughts
• Distortion of space and time
• Synesthesia (i.e., “hearing colors”, “seeing sounds”)
• Mystical states like feeling connected to the universe

Nonetheless, users will report that these mushrooms have some unique psychoactive effects.

People report that the effects of penis envy mushrooms are similar to most other Psilocybe cubensis varieties, with added intensity due to their higher potency. You may also find more “wavy” visual hallucinations with this variety.

People also commonly report that their experience involves less “body load” and makes it more likely for you to feel light, euphoric, and energetic. You may find that this variety offers a “clean” mushroom high. This may be because they have more psilocybin per gram of dried weight. So you have to eat less mushroom material to feel the effects. So you might feel less nausea.

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This article has been legally approved by Ruth Chun, JD. She is the founder of Chun Law Professional Corporation – focusing on the emerging plant-based industries. She is also a Director at Entheon BioMedical.