Lion's Mane Colours
Has your Lion's Mane mushroom turned yellow, pink or brown? Find out about what different colours mean and how to fix it.
While most Lion's Mane is white, it can sometimes turn various colours such as pink, yellow or brown in its growth proess:
Pink Lion's Mane:
A slight pink tinge to your Lion's Mane mushroom is not uncommon and is usually a sign of happy and rapid growth. It is most common when your Lion's Mane is grown at cooler temperatures. This is perfectly normal and will not affect the taste or medicinal properties of your Lion's Mane. If your Lion's Mane is a very bright pink colour it may be a result of direct sunlight. Consider moving your Lion's Mane kit to indirect light.
Yellow Lion's Mane:
Yellowing of a mature Lion's Mane Mushroom (usually starting at the top of the fruiting bodies), indicates the mushroom is mature and should be harvested. For tips on harvesting, see our instructions here.
Brown Lion's Mane
Browning can occur for several reasons. If your fruit bodies are not yet mature, browning can be caused by moisture touching your mushrooms. Never spray your mushrooms with water directly. If you're using a Fat Fox Mushrooms Lion's Mane Growing kit, be sure that the humidity tent is not directly touching your fruit bodies. You can find out how to correctly position your humidity tent and make sure that your mushrooms are not getting too much humidity here.
If you're confident that your mushrooms have not been exposed to direct contact with water, it is also possible that your mushroom does not have enough humidity. If this is the case, you'll want to spray your humidity tent more frequently. Finally, if your mushrooms are fully mature and have begun to brown, this is a sign that they should be harvested immediately.
The unusual shape of this Lion's Mane, the mould growing at the base, and the fact that this fruit is not yet mature indicated that the browning is due to contact with water and too much moisture. To correct this problem read our article here.
This Lion's Mane is mature, so the yellowing is a sign of maturity and it should be harvested. For tips on how to harvest see our instructions here.
This Lion's Mane is mature, so this case of browning is clearly due to the fruit body being over mature. Harvest it right away. For tips on how to harvest see our instructions here.
Strange Growth Patterns
Does your Lion's Mane mushroom look different than you expected? Unusual stretching or coral-like growth is usually an indication of too much humidity or not enough access to oxygen. Don't worry - even if it's a bit strange, your lion's mane will still be safe to eat or make into a homemade tincture.
Read our article on non-typical lion's mane growth and how to address it:
Why does my Lion's Mane Mushroom Look Weird? Lion's Mane Growth Patterns