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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION: Order a NZ shiitake mushroom log and receive a gift voucher for a friend to get a free log (expires 31 January 2026)
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NZ indigenous shiitake (Lentinula novaezelandiae)
Turn wood into food and grow your own woodland mushrooms with Rivendale Wood mushroom logs.
Logs are 1m long and about 10-20cm diameter
These are NZ native edible mushrooms that have been propagated from wild mushrooms found growing on the property. They are still a work in progress and there is a lot to learn – there has been no published research on production of these species and they may behave differently to other mushrooms grown on logs, such as regular shiitake.
COOKING
A bit thinner than regular shiitake mushrooms, these have a delicious earthy umami flavour. Shiitake mushrooms MUST be cooked, as some people can have an allergic reaction which leaves whip-like marks on the back. This isn’t harmful just quite strange and potentially alarming! Although I’ve never seen this, just make sure you cook the mushrooms.
IDENTIFICATION
NZ shiitake have a rough or fluffy texture to the stalk, with scales, NOT smooth. They usually emerge as single mushrooms rather than clusters. They are ready to harvest at any stage, but the best time to pick is when they are fully expanded but before the edge of the cap has turned upwards.
GROWING
These logs are about 1m long and should be positioned in the dappled light of a forest canopy. If they are too exposed to dry wind or direct sunlight they could dry out and not produce any mushrooms. They’ll come back to life with the right conditions.
They should produce for several years, producing a flush of mushrooms (about a handful) whenever conditions are right. When are they right? We don’t know! But the mushrooms do, so just keep an eye on them so you can see them when they show up. They seem to like wet and warm conditions, as well as changes in weather systems, for example when a storm goes through, and appear to produce all year.
Details:
- Delicious mushrooms growing on natural logs
- Dark brown with flecks, and a scaly stalk, not smooth
- Logs have been confirmed to have successfully produced NZ shiitake mushrooms. Make sure to identify them (see resources or contact me)
- Production is unpredictable – observe them at least once a week
- Production occurs year round
- Place in a shady forest-like environment. Humid, shady, and low wind, like a forest floor.
- Keep off the ground to prevent contamination by other fungi
- In dry periods, try to make it “rain” once a week to prevent them drying out
- Cook the mushrooms
