Hericium erinaceus

Bearded tooth mushroom / Pom Pom Blanc

The lion's mane might be one of the most exciting mushrooms out there. Not only because it looks incredibly cool (instead of the regular cap it has a big set of teeth, not unlike It from The Addams Family), but because it has the potential to cure about every thoroughly despised disease torturing the human race.


Pom Pom Blanc - Photographed on a Paddestoelen Paradijs research trip to CNC Exotic Mushrooms. Elizabeth Minns


Traditional Chinese Medicine has prescribed Pom Pom Blanc for stomach problems, and modern researchers contribute antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to it. The most exciting new discovery though, is that it might possibly be able to stimulate and repair nerve cells in the brain. That means treating cognitive demons like dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Growing process

Stage 1

A substrate mixture of wood and nutrients has been inoculated with Bearded Tooth mushroom spores. The spores multiply and spread through the substrate, causing the block to turn white. This stage, called “spawn run”, lasts approximately 10-14 days.

Stage 2

At this stage, called “primordia formation”, the root structure of the mushrooms, the mycelium, has now spread throughout the substrate, causing the entire block to harden. This stage lasts between 3-5 days.

Stage 3

The final stage is ‘fruitbody development’. Once fruitbodies are seen, the plastic casing is tied off at the top, and cuts are made along the edge of the bag. This allows the mushrooms to grow out of the cut slits instead of up into the bag, which is their natural tendency. The mushrooms are now ready to be harvested. This stage lasts between 4-5 days.