Maitake Grain Spawn – 5 lb

Maitake Grain Spawn

This Maitake grain spawn is a live, lab-isolated culture of Grifola frondosa — the prized “Hen of the Woods” — grown to full colonization on sterilized millet grain. Each 5 lb bag is ready to expand.

Maitake grows as a large, ruffled rosette of overlapping gray-brown fronds, resembling the fluffed feathers of a sitting hen. The clustered, fan-like structure is unmistakable and dramatic at full size.

In the kitchen it is rich and earthy with a firm, savory texture. It is equally sought after as a functional mushroom, giving it dual appeal for growers.

Why Maitake Stands Out

Our Maitake grain spawn is colonized for clean, vigorous growth of a mushroom that is notoriously prized and often hard to source. Its dual culinary and functional value makes it a rewarding, high-interest grow.

Feathered, earthy, and coveted — Maitake is a gourmet and functional prize.

Cultivation Notes

Maitake favors supplemented hardwood and colonizes more slowly than oysters, rewarding patience. Expand to a hardwood-based block, then fruit on a longer timeline. A more advanced grow, best for cultivators ready for the wait.

Feathered. Earthy. Prized.

If you are looking for Maitake grain spawn to grow this sought-after culinary and functional mushroom, this colonized bag delivers a clean, vigorous start.

How it ships: a single 5 lb bag of fully colonized Maitake grain spawn on a sterilized millet base, sealed in a filter-patch grow bag for clean gas exchange — ready to expand into bulk substrate.

New to spawn? Pair it with our liquid cultures or browse the full grain spawn lineup.