05/20/2026
Mushroom Growing Series: Maitake!!!
AKA “Hen of the Woods,” “Sheep’s Head,” “Ram’s Head,” or Grifola frondosa
Maitake literally means “dancing mushroom” because people dance with JOY when they find one in the forest. Honestly? We get it. We feel the same in the grow room. 💃
These mushrooms are wild-looking.
Like woodland feathers.
Or a forest brain.
Or a flock of tiny mushroom butterflies having a meeting at the base of a tree.
Maitake is a polypore mushroom…it releases spores through thousands of tiny pores underneath instead of gills like oyster or shiitake.
And WOW do these babies bring flavor.
Maitake is PACKED with umami! Umami is that rich, savory flavor that makes soups deeper, ramen better, and meat taste extra meaty.
These mushrooms are native to the Northeast and can be found in the fall, growing around hardwood trees like oak.
And nutritionally, maitake are absolute overachievers.
Maitake has been linked to immune system support, white blood cell stimulation to help fight germs, improved insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management, and they are chocked full of fiber, protein, potassium, and vitamins B & C!
And like many mushrooms, maitake is one of the ONLY natural food sources of Vitamin D2. Some mushrooms can even naturally produce tiny amounts of D3 and D4.
Funky woodland creatures. We love them.
Now here’s the thing…
These are the DIVAS of the grow room.
Maitake is the hardest mushroom we grow. They take 2–4 MONTHS just to incubate. They need their own little private corner, extra light, cooler temperatures, high humidity, and a lot of emotional reassurance (or maybe that’s us).
We usually let them start pinning inside the bag before opening them because they are… sensitive.
And after all that?
Another 2–6 weeks before they’re finally ready.
These mushrooms are basically teenagers.
One day you think:
“We figured it out! They’re happy!”
And the next day the maitake are like...
“Nah...we want something different now. Thanks.”
High maintenance.
Slow growing.
Absolutely worth it.
We grow these babies from sawdust to fruit, year-round, right here on the farm!
