Exploring The Amazon Mushroom Strain: Giant Jungle Shrooms

The Amazon magic mushroom strain produces some of the largest mushrooms you’ll ever see — and they’re exceptionally potent. 

This strain boasts plenty of psilocybin and a surprisingly long high of almost 8 hours — they’re worth a try if you can get your hands on some.

Sold initially as PES Amazonians (PES standing for Pacifica Exotica Spora), Amazon mushroom strains originate in South America.

This is a genetically isolated strain, but it’s believed to maintain similar traits to mushrooms that can still grow in certain parts of the Amazon rainforest. Mammoth-sized specimens have been reported by mycologists visiting the rainforest.

Despite the surprisingly high content of psilocybin and psilocin, the Amazon strain offers only moderate hallucinations but a notably strong body high.

Users report this strain induces decently long hallucinogenic experiences but not particularly overwhelming ones, making it perfect for inexperienced users.

Related: View All Magic Mushroom Strains

Amazon Strain Specs

Potency	Above Average 💪
Cultivation	Easy
Species	Psilocybe cubensis
Substrate Recommendation	Rye Grain, Manure
Sold By	MYYCO (🇺🇸), Sporeslab (🇨🇦), Spores 101 (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), Miracle Farms (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), The Magic Mushrooms Shop (🇪🇺)

History of the Amazon Strain

Amazon magic mushrooms were originally sold by the Pacific Exportica Spora company, which is why another name for this strain is PES Amazonia.

However, while they were the first to claim commercial ownership, Amazon mushrooms have a long and storied history as one of the first magic mushroom strains to be used by indigenous people.

The mushrooms were originally used as part of spiritual ceremonies throughout the Amazon in South and Central America, used by native peoples long before Europeans ever stepped foot on the shores of America.

Over time, however, the strain entered the public consciousness and was sold commercially in the USA and other places.

One interesting aspect of this strain is that Sporeworks, one of the most reliable spore vendors out there, accidentally mislabelled this strain as B+, a different strain, and has affected public perception ever since.

To this day, people still sometimes use B+ and Amazon interchangeably, despite how fundamentally different they really are.

Amazon Potency & Psilocybin Content

When assessing qualitative data for the potency of magic mushroom strains, we often turn to the Psilocybin Cup, presented by Oakland Hyphae. It’s a competition in which mushroom growers can submit samples of their mushrooms to undergo HPLC testing. Potency is then ranked and various awards are given.

So far, there have been four samples of the Amazon strain in this competition. Across those submissions, the average psilocybin and psilocin levels (percent of dried weight) were reported as 1.12% and 0.20%, respectively, for a total tryptamine concentration of 1.36%. The strongest entry tested so far contained around 1.85% total tryptamines.

Where to Buy Amazon Strain Spores

The Amazon mushroom strain is, luckily, one of the most common varieties of magic mushrooms out there, meaning that it can be bought at pretty much any major retailer that focuses on shrooms.

• If you live in the United States — 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 (🇬🇧)

Remember that some stores still market the Amazon strain as B+, thanks to a mistaken listing many years ago.

→ View all spore vendors & grow kit suppliers

How to Grow Amazon Mushrooms

When it comes to growing magic mushrooms, it is usually a good first step to consider the growing conditions in the wild.

As the name suggests, the Amazon strain was initially collected from the Amazon rainforest, a region with intense humidity.

To ensure it grows properly, give it plenty of humidity. If its growing environment is damp and well-regulated, you can expect massive yields, as this strain is a highly prolific producer.

The mycelium layer of this strain is extremely effective at burrowing into whatever substrate you give it, so make sure it has a little more than usual.

You can also easily find growing kits that come with the substrate, which lets you grow Amazon magic mushrooms at home without any real difficulty.

Even if you use these, make sure to include plenty of humidity and moisture in whatever room you are growing your Amazon shrooms.

A humidifier is a great purchase, and an effective fan to help circulate the air to keep everything nice and moist.

Similar Strains to The Amazon Strain 

The Amazon strain is one of the earliest magic mushroom strains ever used. Ancient South American cultures used it for spiritual and recreational purposes, and many people still use it.

However, if you are looking for a change, here are just a few of our recommendations for the very best alternatives to the Amazon strain:

Huautla

Huautla is another indigenous strain that heralds from Mexico. It’s known as both the Huautla and the Oaxaca strain, thanks to its origin in the region of Oaxaca.

Just like with the Amazon strain, it was used all over anxiety Mexico and is likely a genetic relative.

Also known for its potency, this is the strain to go for when you want something that has a bit of a deeper, more fluid, and mesmerizing high.

B+ strain

The B+ mushroom strain is another fast colonizer with extremely potent mycelium that quickly produces many fruits.

In fact, this strain grows so similarly to the Amazon strain that it’s resulted in plenty of confusion about which strain is which.

The high of the B+ strain is a famous amount different from Amazon. It has a gentler effect, resulting in a shorter trip, but it has the potential to be more hallucinogenic.

Expect a short yet enjoyable and entertaining high, with not quite as much introspection as other indigenous strains.

Costa Rica Strain

The Costa Rica strain is well known for being surprisingly gentile in intensity and has a long history of indigenous use.

It also, along with a few other localized strains, has the interesting quality of bruising very blue when damaged due to oxidation.

Strains vs. Species: What’s the Difference?

There’s one frustrating aspect of trying to understand more about magic mushrooms — there seems to be a significant amount of confusion surrounding the differences between a “strain” and a “species.”

Even though many people seem to use the two terms interchangeably, there is actually a pretty sizable difference between the two.

A species is a name given to a group of organisms that share the same genetic makeup and profile.

A strain refers to a specific genetic sample with its own noticeable, observable, and repeatable set of individual traits or characteristics. This means that two strains of the same individual species will clearly differ in their traits or how they grow.

The key characteristic of two different strains is when they are genetically identical but have specific and clear phenotypical differences. They grow in their own way, have a distinct appearance, or are in some noticeable way different from other strains within the same species.

Every species throughout the plant, animal, and fungi kingdoms has strains, but they tend to be a lot more common when the species has a lot of direct contact with humans.

Cannabis has been manipulated, altered, and customized over thousands of generations to produce different strains that we humans like, which is why there are so many different strains out there.

When it comes to Psilocybe cubensis, there are a huge number of interesting and unique strains out there.

Some boast a more intense psychoactive content thanks to higher psilocybin or psilocin, whereas others grow in unique ways, like albinoism.

Regardless, it is important to understand the differences between the two terms, as it can be pretty confusing.