Albino Penis Envy: An Unusual Variant of the Original Penis Envy
The only thing this strain lacks is color 🎨
Albino Penis Envy (APE) is a variety of Penis Envy mushroom (PE) that lacks pigment. This ghostly white shroom shares PE’s same phallic shape but is less potent and cultivation tends to be more demanding.
In terms of growth habits, APE has a domed cap that’s minutely wider than the thick stem. This strain doesn’t usually sporulate due to the veil that rarely separates from the underside of the cap. These features give many of the strains in the Penis Envy family an unusual penis look.
Although the APE strain is just as potent as Penis Envy and can give good yields over several prolific flushes, it’s much harder to grow. Albino Penis Envy is prone to aborts, is slower to colonize, and is far more susceptible to mold growth.
This strain is definitely not one to be approached by the beginner cultivator. Instead, it’s more suited for the experienced grower who wants a challenge. Provided the cultivator gets through the first flush, the three to four following flushes can be extremely fruitful — producing large, highly potent albino shrooms.
Albino Penis Envy Specs
| Potency | Above Average 💪 |
| Cultivation | Intermediate |
| Species | Psilocybe cubensis |
| Substrate Recommendation | Rye Grain, Bird Seed, Compost & Vermiculite |
| Sold By | Spores MD (🇺🇸), MYYCO (🇺🇸), Sporeslab (🇨🇦), Spores 101 (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), Miracle Farms (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), The Magic Mushrooms Shop (🇪🇺) |
History of the Albino Penis Envy Strain
Albino Penis Envy was supposedly created by the team at Sporeworks. They isolated and stabilized an albino mutation until reliable spore samples were produced. The strain is now available worldwide from a variety of different spore vendors.
Albino Penis Envy’s history is pretty dull and rather short, but the history of its mother strain Penis Envy is anything but dull…
The original Penis Envy strain, at least its lost wild relative, was part of the McKenna brother’s stock. Supposedly, Dennis and Terence McKenna discovered it in the early 1970s when they were exploring the Amazon in search of psychedelic plants and fungi.
The Penis Envy strain we know today is likely very different from the original, which would not survive in the wild because it doesn’t naturally sporulate. How did it morph into something so different?
It’s widely believed that Steven Pollack received a sample of the original Penis Envy spores from the McKenna stock and isolated the strain that we know. However, rumors say he was mysteriously murdered, and the PE mushroom was clutched in the hand of his lifeless body when the police arrived on the scene.
At least, that was the story for a long time. In 2009, Vice published an article written by Hamilton Morris, who explained this story in-depth. Ten years later, the psychedelic journalist revisited the article in an interview with Mr. Richard Guiterrez.
Hamilton’s 2009 article said Rich Gutierrez was mysteriously sent a spore print of the strain after Steven Pollock was murdered. However, Rich explained in the interview that this was untrue, and Pollock didn’t even know where he lived.
Gutierrez claimed to be PE’s creator and provided some pretty solid evidence in the interview. He said it did originate from McKenna’s Amazon stock, but he genetically manipulated the strain to create Penis Envy as it is today.
Rich provided Hamilton with one of the books he wrote in 1976 (five years before Pollock’s mysterious death), showing the first pictures of what was undoubtedly the Penis Envy strain, although it wasn’t named at this time. This basically proves that Rich created the Penis Envy strain, or at the very least proves it wasn’t created by Steven Pollock.
Albino Penis Envy Potency & Psilocybin Content
This popular mushroom is certainly stronger than the average Psilocybe cubensis, but it’s not nearly as potent as it’s parent, the original Penis Envy mushroom.
For quantitative information on magic mushroom strain potencies, we turn to events like the Psilocybin Cup — which allow entrants to submit samples for testing. The samples are sent through high-performance chromatography to rank the potency of psilocybin, psilocin, and various other psychoactive tryptamines.
So far, APE has been entered in this competition 32 times.
Out of all these tests, the average psilocybin content was found to be around 0.93%. The average psilocin was 0.14%. And the average total tryptamine levels were 1.10%.
The highest concentration recorded was 2.34% in a sample submitted by Dr. Greythumb in spring 2021.
Albino Penis Envy is reliably strong, but not the strongest. It produces a strong body high with waves of euphoric energy and intense closed- and open-eye visuals. This strain is definitely for those who are experienced with psychedelics. It’s not recommended for first-time trippers or beginner growers.
Where to Buy Albino Penis Envy Spores
Albino Penis Envy is almost as popular as the original Penis Envy strain. Its genetics are available from several different spore vendors that ship to the United States, Canada, and most of Europe.
- If you live in the United States — Spores MD, MYYCO, Spores 101, Miracle Farms
- If you live in Canada — Spores 101, Sporeslab, Planet Spores
- If you live in Europe — The Magic Mushrooms Shop (🇪🇺), Shiny Spores (🇬🇧)
→ View all spore vendors & grow kit suppliers
Albino Penis Envy Variations & Genetic Relatives
Albino Penis Envy is a non-pigmented variant of the original Penis Envy strain. Penis Envy genetics are extremely popular, and several variations exist, including:
- Penis Envy (original)
- Penis Envy #6
- Penis Envy Uncut
- Old Dirty Penis Envy
- Tidal Wave
- Melmac
- Trans Envy
- Trinity
- White Rabbit
How to Grow Albino Penis Envy Mushrooms
The original Penis Envy strain is surprisingly easy to cultivate. Albino Penis Envy is also relatively easy, but there are some challenges associated with growing it since it’s an albino variety.
APE is very prone to aborts and early pinners. Unfortunately, these are difficult to get around because they’re part of the strain’s nature, but there are ways to minimize the chances.
During the incubation phase, keep the inoculated jars in complete darkness until the mycelium has completely colonized the substrate. This will help reduce the chances of early pinning and allow the mycelium to mature fully without disturbance before fruiting.
You can grow this strain using the simple PF-Tek method — an easy method suitable for cultivators of all levels, including absolute beginners. You can read our guide on how to grow magic mushrooms, but for now, we’ll give you a brief rundown.
PF-Tek requires you to inject sterile substrate-filled jars with spores. Rye grain, bird seed, or a mix of high mountain compost and vermiculite are the best substrates for Albino Penis Envy. Leave the inoculated jars in a dark, warm place until the spores develop into mycelium and colonize the substrate in its entirety.
After two or three weeks of incubation, the jars should be ready to fruit. Open the jars and carefully tip the mycelium cakes out into a fruiting chamber — essentially a box with a layer of substrate on the bottom.
Control the moisture levels inside the fruiting chamber with a misting spray bottle and adjust the temperature by using a heat mat. The humidity should be kept high, and the temperature should be between 23-28 degrees ℃ (73-82 degrees℉).
You should begin to see small mushrooms form after only a few days. You’ll need to harvest the shrooms as they mature by delicately picking them off the mycelium cakes. You should be able to harvest several mushrooms over the following weeks.
Eventually, the mycelium cakes will succumb to mold, and they’ll stop producing mushrooms.
Similar Magic Mushroom Strains
Albino Penis Envy is a non-pigmented strain and produces pure white fruits that are nothing short of ghostly to look at. However, it’s not the only albino strain out there.
If you’re interested in other albino magic mushrooms, take a look at these:
1. Albino A+ (AA+)
Albino A+ is the albino variant of the classic A Strain. Although this isn’t a strict albino because the spores carry a dark purple coloration, the fruits are still completely white.
Albino A Strain still has the same huge fruiting bodies as the classic strain, and the mushrooms are the same shape. It also carries the same decent potency levels, as well as thick spore production.
As far as albino varieties go, this is a relatively easy strain to grow. It’s contamination-resistant, can thrive in less-than-perfect conditions, and isn’t fussy about the substrate. For the beginner who wants to try their hand at a pure white strain of P. cubensis, Albino A+ is a good starting point.
2. White Rabbit (WR)
White Rabbit is an albino strain of Psilocybe cubensis that’s a hybridization of the two highly potent albino strains — Moby Dick and Albino Penis Envy. The fruiting bodies of this strain are completely white and highly potent. This is an up-and-coming shroom that could win some competitions in the future.
A group of cultivators from the Netherlands developed this strain, and they did a good job. It has excellent contamination resistance and is surprisingly easy to grow. Although WR has traits from both of its mother strains, it doesn’t seem to have the same problem with aborts, which is fantastic news for cultivators.
3. Albino Treasure Coast (ATC)
Albino Treasure Coast is a highly potent pale white strain of Psilocybe cubensis. It’s a true albino mutation of the original Treasure Coast strain that was discovered growing in the Southern Florida Gulf Coast.
Apparently, the infamous mycologist and frequent Shroomery member “Mr. G” developed this strain, but it’s unclear whether he actually isolated the first albino mutations of Treasure Coast.
This strain’s spores can be hard to find, with Sporeslab being the only reliable vendor stocking them. This can make it hard to get a hold of. However, you’ll be greatly rewarded with potent albino shrooms if you can track them down.
This one isn’t ideal for beginners; it’s best for cultivators with a bit of experience and some halfway-decent equipment.
4. Penis Envy (PE)
Penis Envy is the pigmented original strain that Albino Penis Envy was isolated from.
Penis Envy is notoriously potent and gets its name from the phallic shape of the mushrooms. It’s one of the most popular strains of Psilocybe cubensis because of its potency, appearance, and yield potential. It’s also surprisingly easy to grow — much more so than APE.
5. Penis Envy Uncut (PEU)
Penis Envy Uncut is a genetic off-shoot of the original Penis Envy. The difference between the two is the veil under the cap that rarely opens or tears away to expose the gills. This is where it gets the “uncut” part of its name, as it’s like an uncircumcised phallus.
Many mushroom lovers claim that Penis Envy Uncut is more potent than PE. Supposedly, this variant has the best potential for producing the most psilocybin out of the entire Penis Envy series.
Without a doubt, this is a highly potent strain of Psilocybe cubensis. However, the fruiting bodies are much smaller than the original and the albino.
6. Penis Envy #6 (PE6)
Penis Envy #6 is a variant hybrid — a cross between Penis Envy and the Texas strain. It colonizes far quicker than other Penis Envy varieties and maintains the exceptional potency the strain is notorious for.
PE6’s growth patterns are similar to the other variants but are far less phallic in appearance. The caps are far bigger and more wavey — more closely resembling those of the other mother strain (Texas).
Although not an “off-shoot” of Penis Envy directly, PE6 definitely has dominant Penis Envy genetics.
Strains vs. Species: What’s the Difference?
When you first jump into the world of mushroom cultivation, you’ll see the two terms “strain” and “species” thrown around. Now, unless you have some experience with taxonomy, this may be a little confusing. Luckily, the two terms are pretty easily described and understood.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different species of psychedelic mushrooms on planet earth — Psilocybe cubensis species is one of them. Hundreds of different strains exist within this popular species.
So how can a single mushroom species have so many different-looking shrooms?
The word “species” defines a group of organisms that share the same characteristics. “Strain” is the word used to describe different genetic variants within a species. Although two strains can look vastly different from one another, they belong to the same species because they’re biologically similar on a basic level.
Although Penis Envy looks extremely different from Golden Teacher, they are simply genetic variants (strains) of the same species of fungi.
Strains exist in all the kingdoms. Just look at the plant kingdom, for example. The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica) has hundreds of different genetic variants too. You’ll find strains that look, smell, and grow differently from each other, but they all belong to the same species.
