Psilocybe Cubensis Strains Compared: Golden Teacher, B+, and Penis Envy

Same species, three very different mushrooms. Here is how Golden Teacher, B+, and Penis Envy actually compare.

Strain Guides  |  ShroomTown  |  September 8, 2026

Psilocybe cubensis is the most widely cultivated psilocybin mushroom in the world, and it also has more named strains circulating than almost any other species. Golden Teacher, B+, and Penis Envy come up constantly in grower forums and strain guides, often described as though they were entirely different organisms. They are not. All three are Psilocybe cubensis, the same species, just selectively grown and isolated over decades into distinct lines with their own look, growth habits, and reported potency.

That distinction matters, because it explains both why these strains can differ so much and why some of the claims made about them deserve a bit of skepticism. Below is an honest look at what actually separates these three, drawn from cultivation records and grower-reported experience rather than marketing copy.

Same Species, Very Different Mushrooms

A cubensis strain is not a separate species, it is a specific genetic line that has been selected and propagated because it reliably shows a certain trait: a particular cap color, a faster colonization time, a larger fruit, or a reputation for stronger effects. Growers isolate a mushroom with a desirable characteristic, clone or spore-propagate it, and over generations that line becomes recognizable enough to earn a name. Our own overview of Psilocybe cubensis taxonomy covers this in more depth, but the short version is that a strain name describes a lineage, not a guarantee.

Golden Teacher: The All-Purpose Standard

Golden Teacher is arguably the most recognized cubensis strain by name alone. Its most consistently documented origin traces to subtropical Florida in the mid-1980s, where a specimen with distinctive golden-brown caps was found growing in a humid pasture. The earliest verifiable public record is a classified ad in a 1991 issue of High Times, though the strain almost certainly circulated informally before that through underground cultivation networks. A few competing origin stories exist, one involving a professor returning from Guyana, another tracing it to a renamed Hawaiian variety, but none of them can be reliably confirmed.

What is well documented is how it grows. Golden Teacher has golden-brown caps and comparatively thick stems, and it is known for robust, forgiving growth across a range of substrates and conditions. It colonizes reliably, tolerates minor mistakes better than many other strains, and fruits consistently, which is a large part of why it became the default recommendation for first-time growers and remains a benchmark strain that other cubensis varieties get compared against.

B+: Bigger, Easier, More Forgiving

B+ traces back to Florida as well, generally credited to a cultivator known in early spore-trading circles simply as Mr. G, sometime in the 1990s. The name is short for Big Plus, a nod to its most obvious trait: large, dense fruiting bodies that can noticeably outsize other cubensis strains grown side by side under the same conditions.

B+ has built a reputation as one of the most adaptable and beginner-friendly cubensis strains available. It colonizes vigorously, handles a fairly wide range of substrates and environmental conditions without much complaint, and produces reliably large flushes. Where Golden Teacher is often described as the standard, B+ is frequently described as the easiest, which is why it shows up so often in beginner grow kits and why many first-time cultivators end up starting there.

Penis Envy: Dense, Slow, and Notably Strong

Penis Envy has the most colorful origin story of the three, and it happens to be one of the better-documented ones in cubensis lore. In the early 1970s, ethnobotanist Terence McKenna reportedly collected an unusual Psilocybe cubensis mutation while traveling in the Amazon. A spore print eventually made its way to mycologist Steven Pollock, who developed and stabilized the line into the strain now sold under the Penis Envy name, referencing its thick stem and small, underdeveloped cap.

Unlike Golden Teacher and B+, Penis Envy is not considered an easy strain. It colonizes more slowly, is less tolerant of environmental swings, and generally requires more precise humidity and temperature control to fruit well. In exchange, it has a strong reputation, and some supporting lab testing, for higher alkaloid concentrations than typical cubensis strains, sometimes reported at roughly double what a strain like Golden Teacher produces. It is a strain that rewards an experienced grower far more than a first-timer.

Potency Is Not Fixed by Name Alone

It is worth being direct about something the strain-comparison genre tends to gloss over: a strain name is not a guaranteed dose. Lab-tested psilocybin concentrations across cubensis strains generally range from roughly 0.2 mg per gram on the low end to over 19 mg per gram on the high end, and that range exists even within a single named strain, not just between different ones. Substrate, growing conditions, harvest timing, and individual genetic drift within a lineage all affect the final number, which is the same reasoning covered in our breakdown of what actually drives potency across species and strains.

So while it is fair to say Penis Envy tends to run stronger than Golden Teacher or B+ on average, treating that as a fixed multiplier you can dose against is a mistake. Two mushrooms from the same strain, grown in the same tub, can still land noticeably differently.

Which One Should You Grow or Try First?

If you are cultivating for the first time, B+ or Golden Teacher are the more sensible starting points. Both tolerate beginner mistakes reasonably well, colonize predictably, and give you a real shot at a clean first flush without needing tightly dialed-in conditions. B+ tends to edge out slightly on yield and ease, while Golden Teacher has the advantage of being the strain most beginner resources are written around, so troubleshooting help is easier to find.

Penis Envy is better suited to someone who has already run a successful grow or two and wants to work with a less forgiving, higher-potency line on purpose. It is not the strain to learn sterile technique on, the slower colonization window gives contamination more time to establish itself if conditions are not tightly controlled.

Where Natalensis Fits Into This

Everything above is specific to Psilocybe cubensis strains, which is a different species from the Psilocybe natalensis we grow and sell here at ShroomTown. Natalensis does not have the same sprawling family tree of named strains, in part because it has not been in home cultivation nearly as long, but it shares the same underlying issue: potency and character can still vary between individual grows. That is part of why we propagate our own natalensis from a single verified genetic line rather than an assortment of mixed spore stock. If you are curious how natalensis stacks up against cubensis more broadly, our natalensis vs. cubensis comparison goes deeper into that, and our dried Psilocybe natalensis is grown and tested under those consistent conditions if you would rather skip strain-hunting altogether.

Final Thoughts

Golden Teacher, B+, and Penis Envy are all the same species wearing three very different personalities. Golden Teacher is the reliable all-rounder, B+ is the easiest and biggest, and Penis Envy is the slow, demanding strain with the strongest reputation. None of that changes the basic rule that applies to any psilocybin mushroom regardless of strain: start low, respect individual variation, and treat a strain’s reputation as a general guide rather than a promise.