Jack Frost Strain: An Albino With A Twist
Jack Frost mushrooms are aptly named for their snow-white appearance and playful nature ⛄️
Jack Frost (JF) is a ghostly-white albino strain of Psilocybe cubensis that seems to have it all — looks, potency, and contamination resistance.
This strain gets its name from the aesthetics of the fruiting bodies it produces. Jack Frost produces flat caps that curl upwards as they begin to drop a blanket of fine white spores. They look as though they’ve been covered in a dusting of fresh snow.
The gills take on a bluish hue, which is a clear indication these shrooms contain a lot of psilocybin (although recent testing data suggests it’s about average).
The fruiting bodies are medium in size, with dense stems and relatively heavy caps.
Once dried, Jack Frost mushrooms retain their ghostly white appearance for the most part. However, you may observe areas that take on a light to dark-blue coloration due to bruising that occurs during the harvest, drying, and storage process. If you handle them carefully, it’s possible to end up with milky-white mushrooms as the final product.
This is a truly stunning albino strain that’s relatively easy to grow while capable of producing decent potency if conditions are just right.
Although this mushroom is relatively rare and uncommon, the two “mother strains” — True Albino Teacher and Albino Penis Envy — are celebrity strains in their own right. Both are revered for their above-average potency.
Is Jack Frost the ultimate albino strain?
Jack Frost Specs
| Potency | Average 🍄 |
| Cultivation | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Species | Psilocybe cubensis |
| Substrate Recommendation | Rye Grain |
| Cost | $$ |
| Sold By | Ralphsters Spores, Spores 101, MushLove Genetics, Magic Spore |
History of the Jack Frost Strain
The Jack Frost strain is relatively new to the magic mushroom scene. Nobody knows who first cultivated it, but rumor has it that a person known only as Wombat created the strain sometime around 2018.
Wombat is a frequent user on Shroomery — an online magic mushroom forum. He was one of the few people to isolate the True Albino Teacher genetics and documented it online in this space. For this reason, many believe he was the original creator of the Jack Frost strain.
Unfortunately, this is purely speculation, and as with many of these sacred mushroom strains, the history is extremely blurry. Although we’re not 100% sure where this strain originated, we’re thankful that this intriguing variety exists.
We do know that it was cultivated from Albino Penis Envy and True Albino Teacher. Apart from this, we, unfortunately, don’t have much more information about the history of Jack Frost.
Regardless of the lack of history, this is still an extremely interesting mushroom to cultivate. If you don’t care too much about origins and want to grow a completely unique albino mushroom with decent potency, don’t disregard Jack Frost. This is a promising strain we’ll likely start hearing about more and more as time goes on.
Jack Frost Potency & Psilocybin Content
Jack Frost has been entered into the Psilocybin Cup two times so far — both tests suggesting about average potency. Between the two samples, the average psilocybin and psilocin were 0.72% and 0.03%, respectively for a total tryptamine content of 0.83% (the high end of average).
The strongest submission was entered by Bodega Bay Boomers — this sample had 1.00% total tryptamines which we consider slightly above average.
Users who have taken this strain report strong visuals, mild euphoria, and time dilation after consuming average doses of these mushrooms.
Despite average potency, many psychonauts compare these shrooms to the likes of Penis Envy and Tidal Wave — two of the strongest Psilocybe cubensis strains cultivated to date. It’s very likely this mushroom is capable of much higher potency when grown under optimal conditions.
This makes sense when you look at Jack Frost’s parent strains:
- Albino Penis Envy (APE) is world-renowned for its incredible potency. The averages for this strain are 0.93% psilocybin, 0.14% psilocin, and 1.10% total tryptamines (above-average).
- True Albino Teacher (TAT) also has a long-standing history, but for different reasons. TAT is famed for being one of the easiest albino strains for beginner growers. The potency of this strain is 0.81% psilocybin, 0.06% psilocin, and 0.87% total tryptamines.
One Albino Penis Envy sample grown by the cultivator “Dr. Greythumb” had a staggering tryptamine content of 2.34% — nearly three times as strong as the average Golden Teacher sample.
Several other Albino Penis Envy samples were entered into the cup and produced psilocybin levels in the range of 0.92% to 1.55%.
Although we can’t say that the Jack Frost strain can produce the same levels of psilocybin as Albino Penis Envy, it makes up 50% of its genetics. From first-hand trip reports and APE stats, we can assume that Jack Frost may easily produce tryptamine levels upwards of 1% when grown in favorable conditions.
Jack Frost Variations & Genetic Relatives
As mentioned, the two mother strains of Jack Frost are Albino Penis Envy and True Albino Teacher. We can also trace this strain’s genetics further by looking at the strains from which its mother strains were developed — Penis Envy and Golden Teacher.
Where to Buy Jack Frost Spores
Although Jack Frost is gaining popularity, it’s still a pretty young and rare strain. This can make finding spores a little tricky. However, it’s not impossible to find Jack Frost spores, and we’re noticing more and more vendors stocking them recently.
Jack Frost is available from a few vendors across the United States, Canada, and Europe. You’ll find spore prints, spore syringes, and in some cases, whole mushroom grow kits that feature JF spores.
If you’re in Canada, you’ll find Jack Frost spores from MushLove Genetics as sterile spore syringes.
If you’re in the United States, Jack Frost spores are available from Spores101, and you can find genetics from Ralphsters Spores.
If you live in the UK or Europe, Jack Frost spores are available from Magic Spore. This company ships within the UK and across mainland Europe, but they also have bases across the United States and Canada. However, Jack Frost is only available for shipping in the UK and Europe from this vendor.
Related: Where to Buy Magic Mushroom Spores
How to Grow the Jack Frost Magic Mushroom
The Jack Frost strain can be grown similarly to any other Psilocybe cubensis mushroom. This strain is relatively contamination-resistant and does not need a highly optimized growing environment to produce good yields — they aren’t too picky.
However, it’s recommended to incorporate a heat mat while growing Jack Frost to ensure a stable temperature. This strain appears to be more sensitive than usual to low temperatures.
Jack Frost and many other magic mushroom strains fruit best at temperatures between 74℉ to 77℉ (23℃ to 25℃). This strain can withstand temperature fluctuations in the fruiting environment, but if you want to see the best results and faster harvests, aim to keep the temperature within this range.
You should expect three to five healthy flushes from Jack Frost before the colony succumbs to mold. However, some growers have reported as many as seven flushes when perfect sterile procedures are practiced.
We wouldn’t recommend Jack Frost to those looking for their first mushroom to cultivate. However, if you’re someone with a few grows under your belt, you shouldn’t struggle too much to produce good results from Jack Frost spores.
When growing this strain, it’s important to keep everything as sterile as possible throughout the entire cultivation process. If you’re still unsure of how to do this and lack experience, have a read through our mushroom cultivation guide to brush up on your mushroom growing knowledge.
When it comes to the growing medium, Jack Frost isn’t particularly fussy. Several growers have had success with various mediums, from BRF cakes, flax seed, coco fiber & vermiculite, and pasteurized manure. However, most cultivators report the best results from a growing medium consisting of rye grain.
Jack Frost is relatively fast-growing. However, colonization can take a little longer; occasionally, the first flush can be delayed. Once you get through the first flush, you should have no problems quickly producing future flushes with relative ease and speed.
Similar Strains
Jack Frost is definitely one of a kind in terms of its looks. However, it’s not the only potent albino strain available.
If you’re interested in Jack Frost for its appearance and potency, you may also be interested in these similar strains:
White Rabbit (WR)
White Rabbit is a highly potent albino strain of Psilocybe cubensis. It’s a hybridization of Albino Penis Envy and Moby Dick — two albino strains that are highly regarded for their looks and high psilocybin levels.
This strain was developed in Holland and has won several awards for its potency. Some people say that this could be a fair competitor to “super strains” such as Tidal Wave and Penis Envy and may have the potential to be the most potent cubensis strain currently on the market.
Surprisingly, this potent Albino strain isn’t particularly difficult to grow. It’s not a good first choice for beginners, but someone with a couple of grows under their belt will have no problem cultivating this mushroom.
Albino A+ (AA+)
Albino A+ is a non-pigmented genetic variant of the original A-Strain. It isn’t a true albino because its spores still carry pigment. This strain is highly potent and famous for producing extremely large mushrooms that are mostly white. It’s relatively easy to cultivate and produce enormous yields over several flushes. These traits make AA+ appealing for beginner and experienced growers alike.
Albino Penis Envy (APE)
Albino Penis Envy is the non-pigmented version of the original Penis Envy. It’s a highly-potent albino strain that can produce high yields over several flushes. However, it’s prone to aborts and requires a controlled sterile growing environment.
This isn’t a strain for beginners. Nevertheless, it’s a rewarding strain to grow for intermediate growers that want to experience the potency of Penis Envy with a different appearance.
Yeti Strain (YETI)
The Yeti strain is supposedly a genetic isolation of True Albino Teacher (TAT). It was developed by the infamous “Jik Fibs” — a Shroomery user and renowned underground mycologist.
This leucistic strain shares several similarities with Golden Teachers but produces pale caps with white stems. Because this strain isn’t a true albino, slight pigmentation in the caps may occur throughout maturity, producing yellow or gold colorations.
True Albino Teacher (TAT)
True Albino Teacher is a non-pigmented variation of the original Golden Teacher Strain. TAT shares the same qualities as the original Golden Teacher but produces ghostly-white caps and stems. This is a true albino strain with translucent spores; unlike leucistic strains, the fruiting bodies are almost always completely colorless.
True Albino Teacher is a relatively easy albino strain to cultivate. It’s an excellent option for beginners looking to grow their first albino strain. Potency is average, but high yields are possible with relative ease.
Penis Envy (PE)
Penis Envy is an extremely popular Psilocybe cubensis strain favored for its incredibly high potency. This strain has reached the pedestal in several psilocybin cups for its high psilocybin and psilocin content.
They’re named after their phallic shape and don’t shrink much when dried. More experienced growers love them for their high yield and potency potential. However, they should be avoided by amateur growers because a controlled and sterile growing environment is needed to produce good results.
Golden Teacher (GT)
Golden Teachers are one of the most common and popular Psilocybe cubensis strains currently on the market. They’re an excellent option for beginner growers because they are highly tolerant of unoptimized growing environments and extremely resistant to contamination.
It’s believed that this strain was originally collected in the Gulf region of the United States back in the 1980s. Since then, it’s been a popular choice among experienced cultivators and those just beginning. This well-rounded strain can produce high yields of average-potency mushrooms.
They aren’t much to look at, but they’re a pretty fool-proof mushrooms that can be grown without much knowledge.
Strains vs. Species: What’s the Difference?
When you look at magic mushrooms, several different names are apparent. Like cannabis, magic mushrooms have hundreds, if not thousands, of genetic variants. You’ll find Jack Frost, White Rabbit, Peru, Koh Samui, Penis Envy, and well over 100 other magic mushroom strains to choose from.
There are also several different species, Psilocybe cubensis, Panaeolus cyanescens, and many more.
So, what do all these different names mean? What’s the difference between a “strain” and a “species?”
To understand the difference, you must understand taxonomy a little bit. This is essentially how we classify all living organisms.
At the top of the taxonomic chain, we have the kingdoms. Mushrooms fall under the Fungi kingdom, plants fall under the Plantae kingdom, and animals fall under the Animalia kingdom. We categorize the organisms that fall under these kingdoms into several different taxonomic groups.
We won’t go too in-depth, but we’ll outline the two taxonomic groups that are most important to neuronauts — species and strain.
1. Genus
A genus refers to a selection of like-individuals. There are several genera that contain psychedelic fungi, including Psilocybe, Panaeolus, Gymnopilus, and Pluteus.
2. Species
Species is the next level of distinction after genus. In the Psilocybe genus, for example, we have Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe argentipes, and dozens of others.
Each species is unique from the next, and only two members of the same species can reproduce together.
Check out our list of over 100 species of psychedelic fungi.
3. Strain
The term strain refers to a genetic sample within a species that produces a unique set of traits. Individual strains within one species can crossbreed to create fertile offspring with another strain.
When referring to a magic mushroom strain, they’re very likely talking specifically about a strain of Psilocybe cubensis.
You’ll find hundreds of strains of Psilocybe cubensis that all differ in appearance, potency, and other defining characteristics. The strain name is always written next to the binomial name like this, for example, Psilocybe cubensis “Jack Frost.”
