When one hears the term "oyster mushroom", many think of something from the sea. However it is a wood loving  mushroom named after it's shape resembling an oyster. This mushroom is tasty, healthy for the body and able to clean up many toxins from the environment. In fact, oyster mushrooms are in the forefront of a special kind of bioremediation called mycroremediation.  As you would suspect, it uses fungus. Actually, I'm thinking it should really be called "ecoremediation"!  This is because when fungus in involved many other organisms join the cause, from bacteria, to insects, to mammals and plants. All of these together, with other fungus and molds, has a synergistic effect no one alone could equal. This type of bioremediation is very effective.

Oysters are definitely one of the most resourceful and versatile mushrooms we know of, whether we are talking about ease of cultivation or range of substrates it can eat. This mushroom is also versalite in that it can heal the planet. There are many different types of oyster mushrooms that appear all over the world. These group of mushrooms are all in the genus Pleurotus. Pleurotus has huge complex sub-species, strains and varieties. Pleurotus may differ greatly in taste, cultivation parameters and to a degree substrate preference. There are also many similarities. For instance p. pulmonarius is virtually identical to p. ostereatus except for the type of tree it grows on and the frutiing season.