Oregon is at the forefront of psilocybin’s future, but the host fungi’s past is still mysterious

While the therapeutic use of psilocybin for mental health issues is increasing in Oregon and other states, scientists are still searching for psilocybe mushrooms’ origin story.
On a balmy April morning, a massive flush of psilocybe mushrooms popped up in a Portland, Oregon city park.

This particularly gregarious bloom of Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata, or “ovoids,” stretched over a large mulched area, attracting casual pickers who filled their tote bags to the brim.

One Portland resident, mycologist Jordan Jacobs, brought his camera to document the occasion instead.

“[Psilocybe fungi] actually thrive in areas where human civilization exists,” Jacobs said. “The classic example is landscaping and city mulch. When we chip up a bunch of dead trees and lay it down, this is just like a feeding frenzy for them.”