Can You Actually Grow Lion's Mane in New Zealand?

Short answer: no, not legally, and not at any real scale. If you've seen "NZ Lion's Mane" for sale and wondered why nobody talks about actual New Zealand-grown Lion's Mane, this is why.

Real Lion's Mane, the species behind most of the research on Lion's Mane supplements, is Hericium erinaceus. Under New Zealand law, it can't be commercially cultivated here.

Lion's Mane in New Zealand: The Short Version

Why Real Lion's Mane Can't Be Grown Here

Under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, most mushroom species can't legally be grown commercially in New Zealand. Only native species, and a small number established before the legislation came in, are permitted.

Hericium erinaceus doesn't fall into either category. Of the mushrooms we work with at Flow State, only Turkey Tail can legally be grown here, and not at commercial scale. Lion's Mane, Reishi, Chaga, and Cordyceps all sit outside what New Zealand law currently permits.

This isn't a quality judgement or a loophole anyone is exploiting. It's simply the regulatory position, and it means any product marketed as "NZ-grown Lion's Mane" is either describing a different species or isn't accurate.

What "NZ Lion's Mane" Usually Means

When you see "NZ Lion's Mane" for sale, it's almost always referring to Pekepeke-kiore (Hericium novae-zealandiae), a native New Zealand fungus. It grows naturally here on dead or decaying native hardwoods such as tawa and beech, and it's a genuine part of New Zealand's native ecology, recognised as a taonga species.

Pekepeke-kiore and Lion's Mane belong to the same genus, Hericium, and share a similar cascading appearance. That's where the similarity ends. They're separate species, native to opposite hemispheres, with distinct genetics.

Same Genus, Different Mushroom

Sponsored testing has shown Pekepeke-kiore contains some of the same compound classes found in true Lion's Mane, including erinacines and hericenones. What it doesn't have is the decades of published research behind Hericium erinaceus, the species most commonly used in supplements worldwide and the one referenced in the majority of scientific studies on focus, mental clarity, and brain function.

There's currently no published human research showing Pekepeke-kiore produces the same effects. That doesn't make it a lesser mushroom; it simply hasn't been studied the way Lion's Mane has. If you want the fuller side-by-side breakdown of the two species, we've covered it in detail in Lion's Mane vs NZ Lion's Mane.

So Where Does Real Lion's Mane Come From?

Since it can't be grown here, real Lion's Mane sold in New Zealand is imported, and we're upfront about that. Flow State's Lion's Mane is grown in Longquan County, Zhejiang, a Dao Di region with centuries of documented cultivation history specific to this species.

It's grown on hardwood substrate rather than grain, organically grown, and every batch is independently tested here in New Zealand for purity and potency. You can read more about how we source our mushrooms in Where We Source Our Mushroom Extracts From, and see the actual results on our third-party test reports page.

Where a mushroom is grown matters less than how it's grown, extracted, and tested. That's the more useful question to ask than country of origin alone.

Choosing the Right One

If you're after the species behind the research on focus and mental clarity, that's Hericium erinaceus, and it's what's in Flow State Lion's Mane capsules. New to mushroom supplements altogether? The Starter Set pairs Lion's Mane with MyComplete as an easy, low-risk way to start.

Disclaimer: It is important to consult a health professional before taking supplements if you have a health condition, are taking medication, are pregnant, or nursing.