Mushroom Atlas

How to Grow Lion's Mane Mushrooms at Home

What this page covers: home cultivation of Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) via kit or bulk hardwood substrate, sourced to published cultivation guides and North Spore's own kit specifications. For what's in a Lion's Mane supplement instead of growing your own, see the Lion's Mane research hub.
In one line

Lion's Mane grows on hardwood sawdust substrate, colonizes in 2-3 weeks at 68-75°F per GroCycle's published guide, and needs consistently high humidity once fruiting starts because its solid, spined shape dries out faster than gilled species like oyster.

Freshly harvested Lion's Mane mushrooms

Substrate

Lion's Mane grows on hardwood-based substrate: oak, maple, or mixed hardwood sawdust or fuel pellets, not softwood species like pine or cedar. Per GroCycle's published cultivation guide, a proven recipe for a 5-pound block is five cups of hardwood pellets, a quarter cup of wheat bran, and six cups of water, sterilized for two and a half hours at 15 PSI before spawn is added. A spray-and-grow kit ships with this step already done.

Colonization

Once inoculated, the bag is kept dark and warm, around 68-75°F, for roughly two to three weeks while the mycelium spreads through the substrate, per GroCycle. Lion's Mane mycelium is notably fine, which GroCycle's guide flags as a real practical difficulty: it can be harder to tell by eye when the block is fully colonized and ready to fruit than it is with a coarser-growing species like oyster.

Fruiting and harvest

Fruiting conditions per GroCycle: 85-90% relative humidity, 59-75°F, with some indirect light. Pinheads form 5-7 days after fruiting begins, reaching full maturity another 5-10 days later depending on temperature. Harvest when the spines have lengthened and the mushroom stops growing, before the spine tips start turning yellow or brown.

Humidity matters more here than for gilled species: North Spore's own Lion's Mane kit instructions specifically warn that the block "can be prone to drying out" and recommend generous, consistent misting rather than the lighter schedule that works for oyster kits.

North Spore Organic Lion's Mane Spray & Grow Kit

North Spore Organic Lion's Mane Spray & Grow Kit

USDA Certified Organic hardwood substrate block, fully colonized. Brand states fresh mushrooms in as little as 7 days and flags the block as prone to drying out without regular misting.

$29.99 (North Spore's own site price)Check Price on Amazon →

We may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no cost to you.

For the clinical research behind why people grow or buy Lion's Mane in the first place, see the Lion's Mane hub. For an easier first species to grow, see How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms at Home. For kit prices and guarantees across brands, see Best Mushroom Grow Kits for Beginners. Back to the Growing Mushrooms hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Lion's Mane mushrooms?

From raw spawn and substrate, colonization takes roughly 2-3 weeks at 68-75°F, per GroCycle's published cultivation guide, followed by 10-17 days of fruiting. A pre-colonized kit skips colonization and fruits in as little as 7 days, per North Spore's own kit specifications.

What substrate does Lion's Mane grow on?

Hardwood-based substrate, typically oak, maple, or mixed hardwood sawdust or fuel pellets, not softwood like pine or cedar. GroCycle's published recipe for a 5-pound block uses hardwood pellets, wheat bran, and water, sterilized before inoculation.

Why does Lion's Mane dry out more than other mushrooms?

It fruits as one solid, spined mass without the gills or pores that species like oyster mushrooms use to release moisture and spores, so it loses water faster at the surface. North Spore's own kit instructions specifically flag Lion's Mane as prone to drying out and recommend generous, consistent misting.

How do you know when Lion's Mane is ready to harvest?

When the spines have lengthened and the mushroom stops increasing in size, per GroCycle's cultivation guide. Harvest before the spines start turning yellow or brown at the tips.

Sources