Oyster (Pleurotus)
Blue Oyster (PoHu strain)
Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus — PoHu
Origin: Hungarian commercial selection from the 1970s, distributed widely through European mushroom culture banks. The most-grown oyster strain in the world.
PoHu is the workhorse of commercial oyster production for a reason: aggressive colonization, tolerance for less-than-perfect substrate hydration, big stacked clusters, and a striking blue-grey cap that fades to brown at maturity. New growers love it because it forgives mistakes; experienced growers love it because it consistently hits 1.5x biological efficiency on supplemented sawdust.
Fruit bodies form in dense overlapping clusters (called shelves) on the side of the substrate bag, typically 5-8 caps per cluster, with caps 2-4 inches across at harvest. The blue color is most intense at low temperatures (under 60°F); above 70°F it fruits closer to grey-tan.
Growth requirements
- Fruiting temperature
- 55–70 °F
- Colonization temperature
- 70–78 °F
- Humidity at fruiting
- 85–95%
- Days to first flush
- 10–16 days
- Yield (per 5lb bag)
- 1.5–3 lb fresh
- Difficulty
- 2 / 10
Substrate compatibility
- supplemented hardwood sawdust
- soy hull pellets
- straw (pasteurized)
Flavor profile
Umami
7/10
Sweetness
4/10
Texture
- tender
- slightly chewy at stem
Mild oyster character, faintly anise on the nose when raw, savory-sweet when sautéed. Holds up well in stir-fries; doesn't release excessive water like some pearl oyster strains.
Recipe pairings
Recipes that take advantage of this strain's flavor + texture profile. Cross-link out to full recipe pages.
References
- Stamets, P. (2000). Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms (3rd ed.)
- North Spore PoHu strain notes