The main producing areas of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) are distributed mainly in the mountainous regions of southern China, while cultivated production areas span many provinces

Reishi mushroom is a traditional medicinal fungus. In the wild, it grows mostly in warm, humid forest areas, and is commonly found on the dead wood and stumps of broadleaf trees. Its distribution is closely related to climatic conditions; environments with high temperature and high humidity and dense vegetation are more conducive to the formation of fruiting bodies, so wild reishi in China is mostly concentrated in the mountainous regions of the south.

In terms of wild resources, it occurs naturally in the mountain forests of Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and other provinces, and the Dabie Mountains area of Anhui was once a region relatively rich in wild resources. As for artificial cultivation, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jilin are all relatively concentrated production areas, and each place has formed planting bases with different characteristics based on its own climatic conditions.

Reishi mushroom has high requirements for its growing environment; it prefers warmth and humidity and is afraid of drought and direct strong sunlight. During the development of the fruiting body, relatively high air humidity and an appropriate amount of scattered light are needed, and the cultivation substrate is mainly hard woods such as oak or sawdust. The climate, water quality and cultivation management level of a production area all directly affect the morphology and quality of the reishi mushroom.

Understanding the place of origin is also helpful when purchasing reishi mushroom. The cultivation and processing procedures in legitimate production areas are relatively mature, and products have more assurance in links such as harvesting, drying and grading. When choosing, you can pay attention to the place-of-origin information on the packaging, observe whether the cap is thick and glossy and whether the pore surface on the underside is clean, and it should smell of a natural fresh mushroom fragrance; avoid choosing goods that have become damp or have a musty smell.