---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maitake can achieve humongous sizes…"
description: "\"Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50 pounds per specimen! Massive maitake can form annually from dying dendritic tree roots for many..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png"
---

#  Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50…

![“Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50 pounds per specimen! Massive maitake can form annually from dying dendritic tree roots for many years, even decades.” quote by Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png)

> “Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50 pounds per specimen! Massive maitake can form annually from dying dendritic tree roots for many years, even decades.”

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Maitake mushrooms can grow to massive sizes, especially when fed by decaying tree roots over many years.

**In simple terms:** Maitake can become huge from old roots.

Key Takeaway

Consider ecological cycles in cultivation.

Themes

mycology growth ecology sustainability

Mood

scientific educational practical

Type

environmental agricultural

When to use this quote

- Forest restoration
- commercial mushroom farming
- educational programs

Key Concepts

Symbiotic relationships long-term cultivation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does substrate age affect growth?
- Can we replicate this in farms?

A Different Perspective

Large size may require specific conditions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Specimen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specimen/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/)

## Related quotes

> [“Remarkably, the size of neurons’ dendritic trees in the hippocampus expands and contracts like an accordion throughout a female rat’s ovulatory cycle, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/remarkably-the-size-of-neurons-dendritic-trees-in-the-hippocampus/)

[Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/)

> [If I have not the power to put myself in the place of other people, but must be continually burrowing inward, I shall never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/if-i-have-not-the-power-to-put-myself-in-the-place-of-other-people/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [It's no fun being a specimen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/it-s-no-fun-being-a-specimen/)

[Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/)

> [The Democratic party is one that I've always observed. I have struggled greatly in life from the day I was born, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-crawford/the-democratic-party-is-one-that-i-ve-always-observed-i-have/)

[Joan Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-crawford/)

> [When we find a fossil, we mark it. Today, we've got great technology: we have GPS. We mark it with a GPS fix, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-leakey/when-we-find-a-fossil-we-mark-it-today-we-ve-got-great-technology-we/)

[Louise Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-leakey/)

> [And my real enemy is not to hold the specimen sterile, but it's the lighting. The light is our real enemy. So we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennart-nilsson/and-my-real-enemy-is-not-to-hold-the-specimen-sterile-but-it-s-the/)

[Lennart Nilsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennart-nilsson/)

> [“Marriage is a labaratory, where the specimen is you yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-philemon-kanyike/marriage-is-a-labaratory-where-the-specimen-is-you-yourself/)

Robert Philemon Kanyike

> [Progress and Poverty was the most closely knit, fascinating, and convincing specimen of argumentation that, I believe, ever sprang from the mind of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-brooks/progress-and-poverty-was-the-most-closely-knit-fascinating-and/)

[Scott Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-brooks/)

> [Distinction between species and specimen is very much like the distinction between images and actual pictures, or, you know, objects that have a definite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-t-mitchell/distinction-between-species-and-specimen-is-very-much-like-the/)

[W. J. T. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-j-t-mitchell/)

> [The fact is that the British Museum had a complete specimen of a dodo in their collection up until the 18th century - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/the-fact-is-that-the-british-museum-had-a-complete-specimen-of-a-dodo/)

[Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/)

> [I explain to athletes, you're supposed to be a well-oiled machine. You're supposed to be in better shape than the people watching you. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-salley/i-explain-to-athletes-you-re-supposed-to-be-a-well-oiled-machine-you/)

[John Salley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-salley/)

> [So far, therefore, as we can draw safe conclusions from a single specimen, there has been no marked change of race in the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lyell/so-far-therefore-as-we-can-draw-safe-conclusions-from-a-single/)

[Charles Lyell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lyell/)

> [I always wanted to be an actor, so part of me is split between the artistic side and the physical side, but then physically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-legeno/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-so-part-of-me-is-split-between-the/)

Dave Legeno

> [“As specimens go, they always get excited about me. I'm a good one. A show-stopper. I'm the kind of kid they'll still enquire about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-fagan/as-specimens-go-they-always-get-excited-about-me-i-m-a-good-one-a/)

[Jenni Fagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-fagan/)

> [I thought I was a pretty good physical specimen. But there was a teenager from Brooklyn, who basically wiped the floor with me on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-goetz/i-thought-i-was-a-pretty-good-physical-specimen-but-there-was-a/)

[Bernhard Goetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-goetz/)

## More by Paul Stamets

> [Disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, floods, oil spills and radioactive fallout cause massive death of people, pigs, bats and birds. These disasters also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/disasters-such-as-earthquakes-tsunamis-volcanoes-floods-oil-spills/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [My team and I have discovered, over decades of study, that mushroom mycelium is a rich resource of new antimicrobial compounds, which work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/my-team-and-i-have-discovered-over-decades-of-study-that-mushroom/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Mycelium is Earth's natural Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/mycelium-is-earth-s-natural-internet/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Chaga is one of the weirdest mushrooms you may ever see. A fungal parasite found on birch trees, Chaga is a hardened, blackened, crusty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/chaga-is-one-of-the-weirdest-mushrooms-you-may-ever-see-a-fungal/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Agarikon contains antiviral molecules new to science. Researchers for pharmaceutical companies may have missed its potent antiviral properties. Our analyses show that the mycelial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/agarikon-contains-antiviral-molecules-new-to-science-researchers-for/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [I believe that mycelium is the neurological network of nature. Interlacing mosaics of mycelium infuse habitats with information-sharing membranes. These membranes are aware, react…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/i-believe-that-mycelium-is-the-neurological-network-of-nature/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [I believe nature is a force of good. Good is not only a concept, it is a spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/i-believe-nature-is-a-force-of-good-good-is-not-only-a-concept-it-is/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Growing the mycelium of the Chaga mushroom under laboratory conditions provides an ecologically friendly alternative supply of this unique medicinal mushroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/growing-the-mycelium-of-the-chaga-mushroom-under-laboratory/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Maitake mushrooms are known in Japan as 'the dancing mushroom.' According to a Japanese legend, a group of Buddhist nuns and woodcutters met on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/maitake-mushrooms-are-known-in-japan-as-the-dancing-mushroom/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Life exists throughout the cosmos and is a consequence of matter in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/life-exists-throughout-the-cosmos-and-is-a-consequence-of-matter-in/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [The task that we face today is to understand the language of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/the-task-that-we-face-today-is-to-understand-the-language-of-nature/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [While reishi mushrooms have historically been prepared as teas or infusions, other modern preparations include capsules, tinctures, and fractionated extracts of mushrooms, mycelium, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/while-reishi-mushrooms-have-historically-been-prepared-as-teas-or/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Turkey tail mushrooms have been used to treat various maladies for hundreds of years in Asia, Europe, and by indigenous peoples in North America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/turkey-tail-mushrooms-have-been-used-to-treat-various-maladies-for/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [My family is delighted every time I cook maitake. Our taste buds awaken in anticipation of its rich, deep and nuanced flavors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/my-family-is-delighted-every-time-i-cook-maitake-our-taste-buds/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

> [Through trial-and-error and observable outcomes, our ancestors narrowed the field of edible mushroom candidates to just a few with remarkable, health-supporting properties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/through-trial-and-error-and-observable-outcomes-our-ancestors/)

[Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

[Explore all 53 Paul Stamets quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50 pounds per specimen! Massive maitake can form annually from dying dendritic tree roots for many years, even decades.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Stamets"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-sometimes-up-to-50-pounds-per/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-sometimes-up-to-50-pounds-per/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/837/paul-stamets-12854_achieve_maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-some_1158518.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes up to 50 pounds per specimen! Massive maitake can form…” — Paul Stamets",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Stamets",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Maitake can achieve humongous sizes, sometimes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-sometimes-up-to-50-pounds-per/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/maitake-can-achieve-humongous-sizes-sometimes-up-to-50-pounds-per/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```