Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum

Reishi

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has been called the mushroom of immortality; in Chinese this mushroom is known as Ling Zhi. Native to Europe, Asia and North America, Reishi has been revered in China for thousands of years. It is depicted in many Chinese works of art and is utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Reishi can be found in varying climates throughout the world, preferring tropical, sub-tropical and temperate climates where deciduous hardwood trees are abundant. Despite its adaptability to different climates and topography, Reishi remains elusive. Only two or three out of 10,000 mature hardwood trees have Reishi growing on them, with oak and maple being the most common. A mushroom goes through many stages during its life cycle, just like any plant or animal. Each part of a mushroom has unique attributes that support wellness and serve a different purpose for the organism, but it’s the fruiting bodies that receive the most attention and are the most familiar. Fruiting bodies emerge from the substrate on which they grow — such as trees or fallen logs — to become the part of the mushroom we recognize. They’re the above-ground part that we can see when we walk through the woods, and they’re also what have been traditionally foraged and consumed, in food and supplements.