What Wood Will Work?

Special Notes:

If you order a previously inoculated log from us, our shiitake spawn are inoculated into oak. Oyster spawn are inoculated into poplar.

Superior is the best overall producer, Recommended are highly suitable, Satisfactory are moderately, suitable, and Questionable can grow but yield low, Fields left blank are either unsuitable or untested.

Note: In Shiitake cultivation avoid Ash, Black Walmart, Elm, Black Locust, Golden Oyster recommended for Ash. Avoid all Oak species in Oyster Cultivation.

* = Superior    ✓ = Recommended    O = Satisfactory    X = Questionable

Shiitake Oyster Lion’s Mane & Comb Tooth Nameko Olive Oysterling Maitake Reishi Chicken of the Woods
Alder O O
Apple X
Ash X O O X
Aspen, Box Elder, Cottonwood & Willow * O *
Basswood O O O O
Beech, American O *
Bitternut Hickory, Butternut, & Sulpher Bud O
Black Birch & Paper Birch O O O O
Black Gum & Tupelo O
Black Walnut O
Blue Beech & Hornbeam
Buckeye O O
Buckthorn X
Cherry O * O O
Chinese Tallow Tree & Tree of Heaven O
Elm O O *
Eucalyptus O
Hackberry & Mulberry O
Ironwood/Hophornbeam O O
Maple, Hard (Sugar) O * * *
Maple, Soft (Red, Silver) O O X O
Oak * O * * O *
Palms O O
Pear & Sycamore O
Sassafras & Sourwood O O
Sweet Gum O O
Tulip & Yellow Poplar *
Jack Pine