(Hypholoma lateritium)

The aggressive soil-builder that paints the forest floor orange.

Bricktop is one of the most vigorous wood-decomposing mushrooms you can grow. Once established, it can spread rapidly through mulch, logs, and woody debris, producing spectacular flushes of brick-red to orange mushrooms during the cooler months of the year.

At Mushroom Mountain, we've watched Bricktops completely colonize mulch-covered trails, transforming them into vibrant carpets of mushrooms. If you're looking for a mushroom that works hard beneath the surface and fruits abundantly above it, this is it.

🌱 Why You'll Love It

🍄 Heavy producer with impressive flushes

🧱 Beautiful brick-red to orange mushroom clusters

🌳 Excellent for logs, mulch, and woody debris

♻️ Powerful decomposer and soil builder

❄️ Thrives during cool weather when many mushrooms slow down

More Than Just a Mushroom

Bricktop is an aggressive saprophyte, meaning it specializes in breaking down wood and returning nutrients to the soil.

As the mycelium spreads, it helps:

♻️ Break Down Woody Debris

Converts hardwood logs, mulch, and wood chips into fertile organic matter.

🌱 Build Living Soil

Creates nutrient-rich humus that supports plant growth.

🪱 Feed Soil Life

Supports earthworms, beneficial microbes, and other soil organisms.

🍂 Extend Seasonal Decomposition

Remains active during cool weather when many decomposers become less active.

🌳 Recycle Forest Materials

Transforms dead wood into new life.

Where Can I Grow It?

Outdoors

• Hardwood logs
• Raft-style log stacks
• Mulch beds
• Woodland gardens
• Wood chip pathways

Indoors

• Supplemented sawdust bags
• Controlled fruiting blocks

👉 Performs exceptionally well on hardwood materials.

🍽️ What Does It Taste Like?

• Nutty
• Rich and savory
• Excellent texture

🔥 Great for:

• Sautéing
• Soups and stews
• Pickling
• Stir-fries

👉 The caps are prized, while stems can become somewhat tough with age.

🍄 What Makes Bricktop Special?

• Extremely aggressive colonizer
• Often forms large clustered flushes
• Can naturalize into outdoor mulch beds
• Produces eye-catching orange-red fruiting bodies

👉 A mushroom that loves to take over—in a good way.

Identification Note

Bricktop is an edible species, but proper identification is important.

If harvesting from outdoor patches, always:

✅ Verify identification carefully

✅ Take spore prints if needed

✅ Contact us if you'd like help confirming your mushrooms

👉 We're always happy to look at photos.

What to Expect

• Fruits during cool weather
• Produces large flushes
• Thrives on hardwood materials
• Often returns season after season once established

👉 A fantastic mushroom for woodland and mulch-based cultivation.

🍄 How to Grow (Quick Overview)

Outdoor Growing

1. Inoculate hardwood logs or raft stacks
2. Place in a shaded area
3. Maintain moisture
4. Allow seasonal cooling to trigger fruiting

Indoor Growing

1. Inoculate supplemented sawdust
2. Allow full colonization
3. Cut a small fruiting slit
4. Maintain humidity and airflow

Then enjoy dense clusters of beautiful Bricktops.

Shipping & Freshness

⚠️ Specialty Spawn

Most orders ship within 1–2 business days.

If this specialty spawn is included, shipping may require 4–6 weeks.

For faster shipment of other products, please place separate orders.

📚 Want Step-by-Step Instructions?

ARTICLES

Log troubleshooting Guide

INSTRUCTIONS

Growing Mushrooms on Stumps

Growing Mushrooms on Logs

Raft Growing Method