Will Magic Mushrooms Turn Blue from Psilocybin?

When you grow magic mushrooms with a grow kit you can sometimes encounter strange colours. Of course, the colours in a magic mushroom grow kit are not as bright as during a magic mushroom trip, but they are important. In this article we tell about a new research on the blue colour of magic mushrooms and we will discuss some other colours that a magic mushroom grow kit can show.

Blue Mushroom from Psilocybin?

Some mushrooms turn blue when you bruise or damage them. The way this happens is known for mushrooms like the poisonous Satan's Bolt. But for magic mushrooms with hallucinogenic effects, this has so far remained a matter of speculation on internet forums. One of the assumptions was always that magic mushrooms such as psilocybe cubensis turn blue because of psilocybin. The bluer, the harder you would trip on the magic mushroom.

Now, German scientists led by Dirk Hoffmeister at the Hans Knöll Institute have found why bruised mushrooms get a blue glow [1]. It turns out that magic mushrooms contain an enzyme that the scientists call "PsiP". When a mushroom is bruised or cut, PsiP causes the substance psilocybin to be converted into another psychedelic substance, psilocin. During this conversion, PsiP chops off a piece of phosphorus from the psilocybin molecule.

A second enzyme, imaginatively named "PsiL" then steals an electron from the psilocin. This causes the psilocin molecules to stick together. These larger psilocin molecules can then lose a hydrogen atom, creating blue substances in magic mushrooms. Are you getting dizzy already? Maybe the following diagram will make it easier for you:


But maybe it will only get more complicated with this diagram!

Fun to know is that our body also has enzymes that convert psilocybin into psilocin. That is the reason we experience the psychedelic effects of magic mushrooms! 

Are blue Magic Mushrooms stronger?

The more psilocybin a mushroom has, the bluer it can become due to this reaction. But that doesn't mean that your magic mushrooms have to turn blue as well to say that they are strong or not. Because of the reaction described above, some substances are lost. In other words: to get that blue colour, you have to sacrifice some psilocybin. Magic mushrooms that turn blue are not harmful, but they are a bit less strong than magic mushrooms that are still intact and not discoloured. Handle the magic mushrooms with care, also after harvesting.


These mushrooms have been neatly harvested. You can see that because they are not or hardly discoloured. However, most of the caps are open. So in fact the harvest is a bit late.


You have to look closely, but some of these magic truffles are slightly discoloured. Nothing wrong with that!

Green, Black and Grey - Invasion in the Magic Mushroom Grow Kit

Mushrooms can also turn more green-blue or even purple. To what degree they turn blue depends on the circumstances. You can eat your magic mushrooms without any problems, but also magic truffels if they turn blue. The exception is if the discolouration is fluffy, dusty or mossy. Then these colours indicate contamination. The warm and humid conditions for optimal growth of magic mushrooms are ideal for more types of fungi. Such a contamination occurs in growing kits during the preparation. That’s why we so often point out the importance of working in a clean environment.


 This kit is contaminated, the grey colour and the light blue / green fluff do not belong there!


 There shouldn't be any green in the grow kit.

White fluff at the base of the Magic Mushrooms

False alarm. There is nothing wrong with white fluff. White fluff normally grows in long threads under the surface of the grow kit. From this white fluff your magic mushrooms will grow. The proper word for this is mycelium. If the circumstances in your magic mushroom grow kit are favourable, you'll see that even after the mushrooms have formed, the white fluff can continue to grow. Sometimes even on top of the magic mushrooms. The white mycelium is edible, but it doesn't contain psilocybin. It makes sure that the grow kit recovers quickly after harvesting your first 'flight' of magic mushrooms, so you can often grow one or more flights of magic mushrooms with the same kit!


This white fluff on the magic mushrooms is fine, the green colour at the bottom of the picture is not okay.

Brown spots on the grow kit

If the magic mushrooms have already sprouted and the caps are open, there is a chance that they will start releasing spores. This is the last step in the reproduction of mushrooms. Normally the spores are blown away by the slightest breeze, but because your grow kit is closed off, the spores just fall down. If you give the grow box a knock, many spores fall out of the hat at once. The spores of the magic mushrooms in our grow kits are brown to dark purple. So if you see brown spots at the bottom of your grow kit and the caps of your mushrooms are completely open, then you have waited too long to harvest. But there is no harm in harvesting them now.

Ideally you should harvest magic mushrooms when the membrane under the cap of most of the mushrooms starts to come loose. Then you will see that the spores don't leave any brown stains either.

Want to know more about growing magic mushrooms with a magic mushroom grow kit? Read the following blogs and become a master magic mushroom grower!

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