Pine mushroom

Pine mushrooms are gilled mushrooms which are found worldwide generally growing in woodland. These ectomycorrhizal fungi are typically edible species which exist in a symbiotic relationship with various species of pine. They belong to the genus Tricholoma.

The best-known species are the East Asian Tricholoma matsutake, also known as "matsutake" or songi, and the North American species Tricholoma magnivelare, also known as "ponderosa mushroom" or "American matsutake."

One very rare species that has been difficult to grow indoors without extremely precise controls is the himematsutake or Princess Matsutake.

In recent years, globalization has made hunting for pine mushrooms popular among first nations people of British Columbia, where they are found under pine trees and often associated with deer trails. Native mushroom hunters sell their harvest daily to local depots which rush them to airports. The mushrooms are then shipped fresh by air to Asia where demand is high and price at a premium.