Beech Mushroom
Hypsizygus tessulatus
The beech mushroom, or shimeji, is a bottle-grown mushroom that needs about 40 days to mature and then fruits in a cold, very humid room.
Hypsizygus tessulatus is known commercially as Hypsizygus marmoreus, shimeji or buna-shimeji. In a 2022 Chinese bottle trial, the culture chamber was held at 22–23 °C and 70% humidity with CO2 at 2,500–3,500 ppm. The mycelium overran the bottle in 30–35 days and was physiologically mature after about 40 days. The bottles then moved to a room at 14–16 °C, 95–100% humidity and 1,500–2,500 ppm CO2, and fruiting finished about 22 days into that low-temperature stage.
Cultivation parameters
Climate
| Colonization temperature | 22–23 °C |
|---|---|
| Fruiting temperature | 14–16 °C |
| Incubation humidity | 70% |
| Fruiting humidity | 95–100% |
| Air / CO₂ notes | In a 2022 bottle trial the culture chamber was held at 22–23 °C, 70% humidity and 2,500–3,500 ppm CO2; the fruiting room was at 14–16 °C, 95–100% humidity and 1,500–2,500 ppm CO2. |
| Cold shock | Required — Fruiting was triggered by moving ripened bottles to a low-temperature room (14–16 °C) |
Timing & substrate
| Colonization | 30–35 days |
|---|---|
| Time to first flush | About 40 days to maturity, then about 22 days of low-temperature cultivation to fruiting in a 2022 bottle trial. |
| Primary substrate | Sawdust-based substrate in bottles |
Practical literature-range
| Difficulty | Intermediate — Bottle cultivation with a long post-ripening period and cold, very humid fruiting |
|---|
Taxonomy & ecology
| Scientific name | Hypsizygus tessulatus |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Shimeji, Buna-shimeji, Hypsizygus marmoreus |
| Synonyms | Hypsizygus marmoreus, Hypsizygus tessellatus |
| Family | Lyophyllaceae |
| Order | Agaricales |
| Genus | Hypsizygus |
| Lifestyle | Saprotroph |
| Cultivation status | Commercially cultivated |
How to grow Beech Mushroom, step by step
- Prepare the bottles. Fill bottles with a sawdust-based substrate and sterilise them.
- Inoculate and culture. Hold 22–23 °C and about 70% humidity; the mycelium overgrows the bottle in 30–35 days.
- Let it mature. Allow about 40 days in total so the mycelium reaches physiological maturity.
- Trigger fruiting. Move the bottles to 14–16 °C with 95–100% humidity and CO2 at 1,500–2,500 ppm.
- Harvest. Fruiting finished about 22 days after the cold stage began in the trial.
Growing notes
The long post-ripening period is the slow part of the cycle. In the same study, adding citric acid and arginine shortened it by 10 days and increased yield by 10.2–15.5%, though that is an industrial refinement, not a home step. The figures come from one commercial strain in controlled rooms, so a home grower should expect to experiment with temperature and air exchange.
Questions about growing Beech Mushroom
What temperature does the beech mushroom need?
A 2022 bottle trial used 22–23 °C for culture and 14–16 °C for fruiting.
How long does it take to fruit?
About 30–35 days to overgrow the bottle and about 40 days to mature, then about 22 days of low-temperature cultivation to finish fruiting.
What humidity does it need?
70% during culture and 95–100% in the fruiting room.
Is shimeji the same as the beech mushroom?
Yes. Hypsizygus tessulatus is the accepted name; the commercially grown strains are usually called Hypsizygus marmoreus.