Mushroom variety quiz
Three questions, and a list of the varieties in North Spore's booklet that fit your room, experience and patience.
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Answer three questions to see which varieties fit.
How the quiz picks
It starts from the 13 varieties in North Spore's fruiting block booklet and removes any that fail one of your answers. The temperature answer keeps varieties whose fruiting range overlaps your range. The experience answer keeps varieties rated at or below your level, using the booklet's beginner, intermediate and advanced ratings. The wait answer compares your limit with the booklet's growth time. Matches are shown beginner first, then by how well the temperature fits.
Things to know before you choose
- The growth time is the booklet's figure and does not include every step. Shiitake first browns in its bag for about 1 to 2 months, and reishi is listed as slow, so the quiz treats shiitake and reishi as a long wait.
- The figures describe North Spore's blocks, and not every variety is sold as a boxed kit.
- The quiz does not look at price, taste or what is in stock. See the best mushroom grow kits for beginners for kits.
For all 13 rows, see the mushroom variety database, and for the growing method see how to grow mushrooms at home.
Related pages
Common questions
Which mushroom is easiest to grow?
North Spore's booklet rates blue, Italian, golden, pink and snow oyster, reishi and lion's mane as beginner. It says oyster and lion's mane are the easiest to grow from its blocks.
Does the quiz recommend a kit to buy?
No. It matches varieties to your answers using the booklet's figures. For kits, see our roundups, which list each seller's stated price, size and harvest time.
Why did the quiz return no matches?
The three answers together can rule out all 13 varieties, for example a very cool room with a short wait. Widen the temperature range or the wait and try again.
Sources
- Fruiting Block Kit Instruction Booklet (PDF), North Spore. Checked November 11, 2026.
- Fruiting Block Kits FAQ, North Spore. Checked November 11, 2026.
How this page is checked
Cedrick Reese built this quiz as a simple filter over the table in North Spore's fruiting block booklet. It uses no scoring weights and no hidden rules, and the page explains each one. The matches repeat the booklet's figures and notes, and we have not grown these varieties for this page.