Florida White (F+): An A+ Strain
It’s called F+, but we think it deserves a better grade than that.
Florida White, otherwise known simply as “F+,” is a mild strain of Psilocybe cubensis that produces large fruits and is relatively easy to grow.
Ralphsters Spores listed F+ as one of the top ten strains of all time, but we disagree and have found this strain to be widely unpopular.
There’s a lot of confusion with the F+ strain because it has several different names. Many assume that the strain labeled “Florida White” is an albino variety. However, the same mushrooms are sold under the names F+, Florida, Florida, and Florida White from different vendors. There appears to be no difference between these strains.
Although F+ occasionally produces albino shrooms, we’re yet to see a consistent isolation of this and a true “Florida White” strain. The confusion surrounding this strain, combined with generally weak psychedelic potency may be why it’s not particularly popular these days.
F+ Strain Specs
| Potency | Weak 🐁 |
| Cultivation | Easy |
| Species | Psilocybe cubensis |
| Substrate Recommendation | Rye Grain |
| Sold By | Spores 101 (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), Miracle Farms (🇺🇸/🇨🇦), Sporeslab (🇨🇦), The Magic Mushrooms Shop (🇪🇺) |
History of the Florida White Strain
As with many Psilocybe cubensis strains, little is known about the history of the F+ strain.
The Florida White strain was discovered in the Florida Everglades in the United States. It was allegedly found growing on moist soil on an area of higher ground in the swampy region.
A person known only as “Joshua” isolated the Florida White strain from a colony of mushrooms he gathered from the Glades. From there, he distributed spore samples among other amateur mushroom cultivators, and now it’s available from various vendors across the globe.
F+ Strain Potency & Psilocybin Content
Florida White is an average to below average potency strain of P. cubensis. This strain is a good option for the first-time tripper, as the trip tends to be more manageable than with other strains.
With that said, dosage is still very important and these psychedelic mushrooms can still come on very strong to the uninitiated.
So far, testing on samples of this strain have found psilocybin and psilocin concentrations below 0.5% (the bottom end of our threshold for what we’d consider “average”).
In terms of qualitative effects, those who have consumed F+ often claim these shrooms produce vivid visual effects and profound philosophical insight when used in the right dose. An enjoyable body high is also noticeable relatively quickly after consuming the mushrooms (around 20 to 30 minutes), which continues throughout the experience.
The whole experience with F+ shrooms is said to be well-rounded. Although potent, waves of relaxation and calm secure you throughout the trip. For the more experienced psychonaut, these shrooms will be a walk in the park, to an extent, at least.
Where to Buy F+ Spores
F+ spores are relatively widespread. You can buy them from several different places in the US, Canada, and Europe. Depending on where you look, samples are available in spore prints, sterile spore-filled syringes, and swabs.
Although you’ll find genetics for this strain at most major vendors, it can be a little difficult to find them because the strain goes by several different names. Search for F+, F strain, Florida, Florida White, or Florida strain if you’re struggling to find spores at your favorite vendor.
Here are some of our favorite spore and grow kit vendors to check out:
- 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 (🇬🇧)
→ View all spore vendors & grow kit suppliers
How to Grow Florida White Mushrooms
F+ is a relatively easy strain of Psilocybe cubensis to grow, even for beginners.
It’s contamination-resistant and fairly resilient to temperature fluctuations, which means it can grow in an unoptimized environment with decent results. This strain is also not particularly fussy in terms of the substrate. However, the best results seem to come from rye grain.
The easiest way to cultivate Florida White is to use a technique called “PF-Tek.”
PF-Tek involves the use of some simple equipment to cultivate mushroom spores. First, you take some glass jars and fill them with substrate; in this case, rye grain is likely the best choice. Then, the substrate-filled jars are sterilized in a pressure cooker.
Once the substrate-filled jars have cooled down after being sterilized, a spore syringe is used to inject spores into the jars. The jars are then sealed and left in an incubator for two to three weeks until the mycelium has spread throughout the substrate.
Once the mycelium has formed fully, the resulting cakes can be removed and placed in a simple fruiting chamber — a box with ventilation that’s filled with a layer of vermiculite or substrate coating the base. The fruiting chamber is left with a heat mat underneath until mushrooms grow from the mycelium cakes.
As the mushrooms grow and mature on the cakes, they can be harvested before they drop their spores. The cakes will then continue to fruit until they eventually succumb to contamination and begin to grow mold.
If you want to learn how to perform PF-Tek and grow Florida White shrooms effectively from spores, read through our in-depth article on how to grow magic mushrooms.
Similar Strains
Florida White isn’t the best option for those looking for “the most bang for their buck” in potency. For that we’d have to recommend stronger strains like Penis Envy, Tidal Wave, Fuzzy Balls, or Casper.
If you like the look of albino or leucistic (white, but not albino) mushrooms, we’d recommend similar strains like Albino Treasure Coast, Albino Penis Envy, White Rabbit, Yeti, or Albino Burma (another mild strain suitable for beginners or microdosers).
Let’s cover a few of these recommendations in more detail.
1. Penis Envy (PE)
Penis Envy is one of the most popular and talked about strains of Psilocybe cubensis on the planet. This is a notoriously potent strain, and it’s often treated as an entirely different species because of this. The average Penis Envy shroom is around three times as powerful as the average P. cubensis strain.
Penis Envy gets its name from the phallic-shaped mushrooms the strain produces. The stems are thick and cylindrical, and the cap remains close to the stem, making the shrooms look like penises. They are medium to large and don’t shrink much when dried.
The first Penis Envy strain was likely found by Dennis and Terrance McKenna somewhere in the Colombian Amazon. However, the strain now certainly isn’t what it once was. The potent Penis Envy strain we’ve become accustomed to results from genetic manipulation.
Surprisingly, Penis Envy is relatively easy to grow. It’s resilient to mold and bacteria, colonizes quickly, and can be grown with little knowledge or equipment.
2. Tidalwave (TW)
Tidalwave is one of the most potent strains of Psilocybe cubensis on the planet. This strain is a hybridization of the B+ strain and Penis Envy — two strains renowned for their potency.
This strain’s overall potency depends on how it’s grown. Some have reported milder effects, and others have reported unbelievably intense hallucinogenic effects from these shrooms, depending on how and where they were grown.
Characteristics of both mother strains are present in Tidalwave mushrooms. They have thick stems like the Penis Envy strain and a wide golden cap similar to B+. This strain is relatively easy to grow but can be prone to aborts and does require an optimized growing environment to produce good results.
A sample of Tidalwave came in first place in the Spring 2021 Oakland Hyphae Psilocybin Cup with a whopping total tryptamine content of 3.82%. That’s impressive, considering the average P. cubensis strain has 0.50% to 0.70% total tryptamines.
3. White Rabbit (WR)
White Rabbit is a hybridization of Albino Penis Envy and Moby Dick — two strains renowned for their potency. These shrooms are entirely white and highly potent. The strain, originally developed by a group of cultivators in the Netherlands, has won awards for its high potency among independent growers.
This strain may soon rival the original Penis Envy and Tidal Wave in terms of potency. It’s definitely not one for the inexperienced psychonaut.
White Rabbit is easy to grow, surprising for a potent albino strain. It’s contamination-resistant, can thrive in an unoptimized environment, and colonizes quickly. This strain is a great choice for experienced psychonauts and people new to growing mushrooms.
Strains vs. Species: What’s the Difference?
Florida White is a strain of Psilocybe cubensis. P. cubensis is one of the hundreds of different species of psychedelic mushrooms.
The Psilocybe cubensis species has hundreds of different strains. Strains are genetic variants within a single species. Biologically, strains belong to the same species, but two strains can look entirely different.
You just have to look at the variety of strains within the P. cubensis species to see how vastly different they can be.
Penis Envy looks entirely different from Golden Teacher, and the two strains are worlds apart regarding potency. However, on a basic biological level, the two strains belong to the same species and, in theory, could be crossed to create fertile offspring.
Strains exist in other species as well — not just magic mushrooms and other fungi.
Animals and plants often have different genetic variants within certain species as well. Just look at cannabis, for example. Although Sour Diesel and Silver Haze are both from the cannabis species, the two strains differ in characteristics. There are almost 1000 different strains of cannabis, all with different looks, growth characteristics, and chemical compositions.
Dogs (Canis familiaris) are also made up of different breeds. Breeds are genetic variants, just as strains are. Border Collies and Jack Russells look different, but they’re both dogs.
Strains occur naturally, but we as humans also create them through cross-breeding. We’ve developed Psilocybe cubensis strains like Penis Envy for potency, cannabis strains to increase THC or CBD content, and dog breeds for aesthetics and job roles.
