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Edibility
Toxic
Lookalike Danger
5 / 5
Habitat
🪵 PNW mulched plantings
Season
Aug – Nov
"Olive-brown wavy cap with a translucent rim when wet. First described from University of Washington garden beds. Bluest of the Psilocybes when bruised — almost ink."
🌳 Host Trees & Plants
This species is found with or partners with the following hosts. Ectomycorrhizal hosts (green border) form a root-level partnership; ericoid / arbutoid shrubs (purple border) share the same mycorrhizal networks.
Wood-Chip Mulch
Hardwood mulch
Saprobic substrate
Landscape hardwood chip mulch — wine cap, bird’s nest fungi, dog-vomit slime mold. A great backyard cultivation substrate.
Olive-brown wavy cap with a translucent rim when wet, named for its small ovoid spores. First described from University of Washington garden beds in 1958. Contains psilocybin, psilocin, and especially high baeocystin — one of the bluest-bruising Psilocybes.
Habitat
Mulched plantings and wood chips in the Pacific Northwest, especially urban gardens. Fall through early winter.
Look for this on the ground
Lawn and wood-chip edge
Manicured lawn meeting fresh hardwood mulch — suburban edge habitat.
Season Windows by Region
Region
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
North Cascades
WA · 1,500–8,000 ft
Central Cascades / Snoqualmie
WA · 1,500–7,000 ft
Olympic Peninsula
WA · 500–6,000 ft
Gifford Pinchot / South Cascades
WA · 1,000–8,000 ft
Mt Hood / North Oregon Cascades
OR · 2,000–8,000 ft
Willamette Valley / Columbia Gorge
OR · 200–1,500 ft
Growing Requirements
Min Soil Temp
45°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
low
Elevation Range
200–8,000 ft
Look-Alikes
Psilocybe cyanescens
Same region, same habitat, same psychoactive profile. P. baeocystis is smaller with a more translucent rim.
Galerina marginata (Deadly Galerina)
DEADLY. Confirm bluing.
Identification Tips
- ✓Translucent striations at cap margin when wet
- ✓Bruises an unusually deep indigo — almost black-ink
- ✓Garden bed habitat in PNW cities
Field Notes
PNW mulched plantings
Found Bottle Cap?
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.
Safety: Never eat any wild mushroom without 100% certain identification from multiple sources. This page is for informational purposes only. When in doubt, throw it out.