R44 Shroom Strain: A Potent Magic Mushroom Strain Once Lost Entirely
This exclusive strain from the American spore vendor, Ralphsters, was almost wiped off the face of the Earth.
The R44 strain is one of several hundred known magic mushroom strains that belong to the species Psilocybe cubensis.
Not much information is available regarding the origins of the R44 strain.
What we do know is that this strain was first collected somewhere in the Southern United States by Ralph, the owner of Ralphster’s Spores. Ralph noted on his website that he was interested in finding and harvesting wild magic mushrooms and found a few species during his short foraging stint. One of those strains he isolated became the R44 strain.
Ralph also noted that poor record-keeping led to the strain getting lost, and for quite some time, it was unavailable from Ralphster’s Spores or any other commercial vendor. Thankfully, the strain was later recovered and has since been added back into the Ralphster’s Spores lineup.
This strain is characterized by its thick, dense caps and stems and off-reddish color. It’s a unique mushroom for aficionados who have tried everything or those looking for something that isn’t going to kick them into a separate dimension at the 3-gram range.
R44 Shrooms Specs
| Potency | Average 🍄 |
| Cultivation | Beginner |
| Species | Psilocybe cubensis |
| Substrate Recommendation | Rye Grain |
| Cost | $ |
| Sold By | Ralphsters Spores, Lil Shop of Spores, Thick Spores |
Potency & Psilocybin Content
There are no specific recordings to confirm the potency of the R44 strain, and the strain had no entries in the most recent Oakland Hyphae’s Psilocybin Cup.
We can only turn to trip reports for an estimated potency.
Most users who took R44 shrooms confirm that the trip intensity is average. This suggests the average potency of the R44 strain is somewhere in the ballpark of 0.7% and 0.9% tryptamine content (psilocybin and psilocin combined).
Where to Buy R44 Shroom Spores
The only place to buy R44 strains officially is from Ralphster’s Spores (only available in the US) — however, some users may have them available on spore trading circles in your area.
The mushroom-growing community is incredibly widespread, and many members have a vast collection of samples they keep around to swap with other community members.
If you’re set on finding R44 and can’t get it from Ralphster’s for one reason or another, we suggest you try your local spore trading ring instead. /r/sporetraders is a great place to start.
Related: How & Where to Buy Magic Mushroom Spores (Legally).
How to Grow R44 Shrooms
The R44 strain is known to produce some chunky caps and thick stems — however, not everyone has this luck. Many growers report their R44 producing one or two large mushies followed by copious amounts of medium to small shrooms. These smaller shrooms are often underwhelming for many cultivators, which possibly contributes to the strain’s lack of popularity.
On the plus side, R44 colonizes pretty quickly, so you won’t have to worry as much about contamination as much as you would with some other, more slow-growing strains.
You can check out our in-depth magic mushroom growing guide for more tips and a more detailed explanation of how to get started growing mushrooms.
Similar Strains
Since the R44 strain is hard to come by, you might want to try out similar strains if you can’t find R44 spores. We’ll briefly describe some of the strains that should provide a similar experience to consuming or cultivating R44 shrooms.
Panama Shrooms
The Panama strain was originally collected in a hotel garden in Panama City. It has an average potency and is relatively resistant to mold, much like the R44 strain. This strain was also isolated by Ralph from Ralphster’s Spores.
Peru Shrooms
If you’re into trying shroom strains that were introduced to the market by Ralphster’s Spores, then the Peru strain might be a good one for you. Little is known about the history of this strain, other than it was harvested in Pero and isolated by Ralph of Ralphster’s Spores.
Acadian Coast Shrooms
The Acadian Coast strain is another that comes from the Southern United States. This is believed by some to be exclusive to the shores of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, but some mycologists contend that it grows all along the eastern coast of the US.
Dixieland Shrooms
The Dixieland strain comes from Dixieland, which is a nickname for the Southern US. It was originally collected in Mississippi, so it could be a close genetic relative of the R44 strain. This strain is just as easy as R44s to cultivate, but it has a much higher potency, on average.
Strains vs. Species: What’s The Difference?
The term “strain” refers to a genetic sample of a mushroom that has been collected and isolated in a lab setting. In nature, strains are ever-changing and evolving, so the term only usefully describes samples humans have isolated and continue to reproduce. Each strain has a repeatable and observable set of characteristics that set it apart from other strains.
The term “species” refers to a genetically unique subset of mushrooms. A species can have hundreds of strains belonging to it, but all have identical genetics at their core. Two separate species cannot reproduce.
If this concept confuses you, it might help to think of other plants we categorize into strains, usually those that humans use frequently. Cannabis is an excellent example of this, as all strains are classified as Cannabis sativa. We also have many different strains of roses, apples, tomatoes, pumpkins, kava, kratom, cinnamon, and any other plant of significant commercial importance.
Final Thoughts: R44 Shrooms
R44 was originally discovered and isolated by Ralph of Ralphster’s Spores, which is a trusted and reputable online spore vendor.
The strain came from somewhere in the Southern United States, although the specific location is unknown due to poor record-keeping. The strain was nearly lost entirely, but it has since been recovered and is now proudly back in stock at Ralphster’s Spores.
If you’re interested in the R44 strain but can’t get a hold of the spores, you can try out some other strains developed by Ralphster’s Spores, including the Panama strain and the Peru strain, or reach out to local sporetrading circles in your area.
If you’re looking for other magic mushrooms that hail from the Southern US, the Acadian Coast strain and the Dixieland strains are good alternatives to consider instead.
