Shiitake is a perennial grown for the harvest, ready about 180 days after sowing. Notably, it stands up to deer.
Shiitake — the short answer
Shiitake: shade, pH 3.5–6, about 180 days to maturity.
- Soil pH
- 3.5–6
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Shade
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Days to Maturity
- 180 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 28°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Shiitake on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether shiitake actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score shiitake against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
What Shiitake is
Shiitake grows as a perennial and reaches around 6 inches at maturity. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Shiitake
Shiitake is ready to harvest about 180 days after planting. Shiitake does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 3.5 to 6, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
Data pending
Soil pH
3.5 - 6
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
28°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Days to Maturity
180 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
0.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
180+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant shiitake in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Shiitake prefers pH 3.5 to 6 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Shiitake is ready about 180 days after sowing. Watch for cultivar-specific ripeness cues and pick at peak.
Where Shiitake thrives
Whether shiitake thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.
What grows around Shiitake
Growing guides for shiitake
In rotation planning, shiitake counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in vegetable
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — shiitake isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Shiitake isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Before you harvest shiitake, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant shiitake for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Shiitake's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Shiitake will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether shiitake actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Shiitake
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Shiitake in my zone?
Zone data for shiitake is being finalized. A Growable Ground report checks your parcel's full suitability against federal soil, climate, and zone data.
How long does Shiitake take to grow?
Shiitake is ready to harvest about 180 days after planting. Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Shiitake?
Shiitake is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Shiitake need?
Shiitake is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Shiitake need?
Shiitake prefers soil pH 3.5 to 6, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Shiitake attract pollinators?
Shiitake isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Shiitake safe for pets?
Shiitake is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)