1) Give the gift of growing mushrooms for the first time with an Oyster Mushroom 'Spray and Grow' Kit!
Really, anyone who’s curious about fungi will be awestruck watching mushrooms emerge on their kitchen counter. Using one of these kits is super easy and fun, all it needs is a little spritz! In two weeks or less, beautiful clusters of mushrooms will burst from the box, doubling in size each day. When they’re big enough, just pluck mushrooms off the box and cook ‘em up! Most kits get 2-3 flushes of mushrooms. Pretty impressive, huh?
The best part is you can choose from four different varieties - Blue Oyster, Golden Oyster, Pink Oyster, and Lion's Mane - for lush and vibrant flushes.
2) Keep your loved ones healthy with Chaga Tea!
This superfood is a great gift. It can be made hot in the winter and iced in the summer making it a year-round treat for the foodie, wellness enthusiast, or morning beverage connoisseur in your life!
Four medicinal mushrooms: reishi, shiitake, chaga, and hen of the woods are combined in this balanced blend to support a body through the daily grind and in times of stress. We take Immunity Blend every morning with our coffee or tea, and load up on extra ahead of travel and flu season. It can even help with allergies!
3) Make sure they're prepared for the big haul with an Opinel Mushroom Harvesting Knife!
1. A beginner-friendly mushroom Spray & Grow Kit
Spray & Grow countertop kits are our most popular mushroom gift. Perfect for the gardener, chef, or wellness enthusiast in your life, you can even buy one for that friend who cooks through the holidays and could use a little company in the kitchen! Curious kids love them too. These kits are truly the go-to gift for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or any other gift-giving holidays throughout the year.
Anyone who’s curious about fungi will be awestruck watching mushrooms emerge on their kitchen counter. Our Spray & Grow Kits are super easy and fun, and all that's needed is a little water! In about two weeks, beautiful clusters of mushrooms will burst from the box, doubling in size each day. When they’re big enough, just pluck mushrooms off the box and cook ‘em up! Most kits get 2+ flushes of mushrooms. We offer Lion's Mane, Pink Oyster, Blue Oyster, and Golden Oyster varieties!
2. An indoor mushroom monotub growing kit
The monotub tek method is where most indoor mushroom cultivators get their start. It's easy, fast, and doesn't take up much space or require high-tech humidity or ventilation systems.
Our Boomr Bin monotub kits make mushroom growing easy. Created by mycologists, they are equipped with everything you need to start growing mushrooms indoors.. All that's left to acquire is a spore syringe or liquid culture! Our Boomr Bin is designed with airflow and humidity controls and requires no high-tech additions. These kits include sterile substrates and coco coir to facilite successful growth. We offer kits for those who want to grow manure-loving or wood-loving species.
We've also included self-adhesive filters designed to keep out foreign spores and other contaminants while maintaining proper humidity, airflow, and gas exchange.
3. A book on foraging, growing, or cooking mushrooms!
There is nothing as satisfying for a fungi fanatic as sitting down and geeking out with a book written by one of the pioneers of mushroom cultivation like Paul Stamets, or one of the new guard like Peter McCoy or Tradd Cotter. Our collection of mushroom books offers a wellspring of knowledge that has influenced generations of mushroom growers, foragers, chefs, science- and wellness-enthusiasts. We also have a collection for budding mycologists and families, and for those interested in psilocybin and psychedelics.
In this silicon age, it’s difficult to escape from screens here in the US. Returning to the profound power of the written word can make a genuine and heartfelt impression. Books aren't quaint, they're a foundation, and shouldn't be overlooked as a gift!
4. Mushroom capsules for wellness
Show someone you care by helping them take care! Do you know anyone who could use a boost to their immunity, help with focus and attention, an extra push of energy for the gym, or all of the above? Mushroom capsules are a great gift for wellness enthusiasts and folks who are always on the go. If you want to be extra nice, you could even purchase a subscription for them to make you gift go further!
Our Spectrum 10 capsules are a great gift for the winter season to help your loved one potentially fight off allergies, colds, and the flu, while also helping with energy levels. These capsules are made from 100% fruiting body extracts for maximum potency, using the highest quality ingredients. It’s sure to bolster the immune system and can be used year-round as a daily supplement. Ten potent medicinal mushrooms are combined in this blend to support the body through the daily grind and times of stress. Of course, we always recommend that anyone interested in taking supplements consults their doctor beforehand.
5. Wild Chaga mushroom tea
Chaga is considered a super-food packed with antioxidants that help boost immunity, stimulate the production of natural energy, and support overall health. Among the numerous health benefits found in wild Chaga, probably the most important medicinal compound is betulinic acid, which has been studied for its natural anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, and immune-boosting effects.
Our wild Chaga tea contains Chaga foraged from local forests in Maine that we air dry and hand grind. When the Chaga has hardened and lost its moisture content, we prepare it using a turn-of-the-century food mill, then hand package it. All of our Chaga is ethically wildcrafted so as not to deplete the ecosystem from which it was harvested.
6. An outdoor mushroom log growing kit
Do you know a tinkerer, someone who enjoys tactile crafts, or likes to invest in long-term projects like beer brewing? Maybe a family member with a cabin in the woods, or is pretty resourceful? Growing mushrooms on logs is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to grow edible mushrooms at home. Logs live outdoors in shady parts of the garden (eat your heart out you finicky tomato beds!) and will produce mushroom flushes after rainfall for several years.
Our outdoor mushroom log kits have everything your loved one needs to inoculate 1-2 logs. Kits contain a voucher for mushroom plug spawn (think seeds for mushroom growers) that the receiver can redeem when they are ready, a drill bit, wax for sealing the log, and detailed instructions. We recommend starting with Shiitake, but Oyster varieties such as Blue, Italian, Golden, and Snow are also great for beginners!
7. An all-in-one mushroom grow bag
Have a friend or family member who is interested in growing mushrooms discretely at home? We've got them covered! Our ShroomTek all-in-one mushroom grow bag contains a blend of fortified substrates to optimize successful growth in manure-loving species of mushrooms. All that is left to acquire is a spore syringe or liquid culture of your loved one's favorite dung-loving species.
With the ShroomTek, there is no need for mixing substrates or fancy equipment and the bag serves as a miniature growing chamber. The process is simple: clean your workspace and syringe, inject your spores or culture into the bag, and wait! After a short time, mycelium will colonize the substrate and subsequently, a beautiful canopy of mushrooms will emerge!
Is your pal a farmer or gardener in need of a trusty blade for slicing Shiitakes off logs or wine caps from beds? Or do you know a backcountry trekker with eyes for morels, chanterelles, or porcini? Maybe a culinary adventurer looking to explore outside? An Opinel Mushroom Harvesting Knife is an essential companion for any mushroom lover.
4) Help them make a shiitake log in their yard!
Give the gift of healthy, delicious mushrooms for years to come with a DIY mushroom log kit!
Do you know a tinkerer, someone who enjoys tactile crafts, or likes to invest in long-term projects like beer brewing? Maybe a family member with a cabin in the woods, or is pretty resourceful. Growing shiitakes on logs is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways of growing edible mushrooms at home. Logs live outdoors in shady parts of the garden (eat your heart out you finicky tomato beds!) and will produce mushrooms in flushes after rainfall for multiple years.
5) What about a well respected and informative book on cultivation or foraging?
8. A set of log inoculation tools
Know somebody who grows mushrooms on logs using sawdust spawn? Help them level up their growing game with tools to make inoculation a breeze. Our trio of log inoculation tools has them covered.
Thumb-press log inoculation tools are for injecting sawdust spawn into holes drilled on logs. They feature a sturdy ergonomic hand grip and a spring-loaded thumb press for single hand use, allowing the other hand to steady the log during inoculation. With regular cleaning and proper storage, it should last for many years.
Angle grinder adapters increase the speed of the log inoculation process 4x by allowing you to use our specialized mushroom drill bits on an angle grinder (angle grinders run at much higher RPMs than hand drills!). Specialized stainless steel drill bits are used to drill holes into logs prior to inoculation with mushroom spawn. In addition to speeding up the process, they also ensure that each hole is an identical size and depth.
9. North Spore gear must-haves
When it comes to pleasing your fungus-loving friend or family member, there's no better way than to deck them out in North Spore gear. Here's a selection of fashionable and efficient options for winter and always:
• North Spore Beanie: Keep them cozy and stylish with our North Spore beanie, perfect for mushroom enthusiasts. We've got black and orange options.
• North Spore Foraging Bag: Equip them for their next mushroom-hunting adventure with the practical and durable North Spore foraging bag.
• North Spore T-Shirt: Let them flaunt their love for all things mycological with a North Spore t-shirt.
What makes our merchandise even more special? All of our designs and illustrations are crafted by our talented employees, making it a delightful way to spread the spore!
10: A North Spore gift card
We know, the gift options are mighty and it's difficult to choose. You can always opt to give the gift of choice this year with a North Spore gift card! A gift card will give your loved one the opportunity to choose which route in the mushroom world they will take, or to which new level of mycology they will ascend.
Resources are invaluable to a mushroom lover’s journey. Check out our entire book collection here.
Do you have a scholar or researcher in your life, someone curious about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic mushrooms, medicine making, or foraging?