How to Grow Red Mushrooms in Minecraft

Red mushrooms are one of the most iconic plants in Minecraft. A mushroom in Minecraft is a versatile item found throughout the game, used in crafting, brewing, and survival recipes. They are used for brewing, crafting food, and even growing into giant decorative mushroom structures. Many players ask how to grow red mushrooms in Minecraft because they behave differently from crops like wheat or carrots.

Unlike normal crops, mushrooms require specific conditions to grow. They thrive in low light, can spread across certain blocks, and can be transformed into giant mushrooms with bone meal. Understanding these mechanics allows you to farm mushrooms efficiently for food, decoration, or potion brewing.

This guide explains where to find red mushrooms, how to plant them, what blocks they grow on, how to farm them, and how to grow giant mushrooms.

Red mushrooms are small plants with white spots that generate naturally in the Overworld and Nether. Red mushrooms are a type of fungus in Minecraft, similar to other fungi such as crimson and warped fungi found in the Nether. They are not edible on their own but are essential ingredients in crafting Mushroom Stew and Suspicious Stew. They can also be grown into giant red mushrooms with bone meal, producing mushroom blocks that are useful for decoration and building.

They differ from crops because they do not require farmland or water. Instead, they depend on light levels and block types. Mushrooms can also be obtained in unique ways, such as shearing a Red Mooshroom, which drops five mushrooms, or shearing a Bogged, which drops up to two mushrooms.

Red mushrooms naturally grow in dark forests under the canopy, in swamps near water, and in the mushroom fields biome (also known as mushroom islands), where they spawn abundantly alongside brown mushrooms. They also appear underground in caves where light levels are low.

In the Nether, red mushrooms generate anywhere with low light, including the Nether roof in Java Edition. While they can appear in crimson forests, they are often overshadowed by crimson fungi, which are a different plant entirely. Exploring multiple biomes increases your chances of finding them. Notably, in the Bedrock Edition, mushroom generation can differ, especially in the Nether and mushroom fields biome, where spawn rates and locations may vary from Java Edition.

Red mushrooms can be planted on suitable ground surfaces such as dirt, grass blocks, podzol, mycelium, and nylium. These types of ground allow you to place red mushrooms, and they will remain as long as the light level is below 13. If the light level reaches 13 or higher, the mushroom will pop off and drop as an item unless planted on podzol, mycelium, or nylium.

Podzol and mycelium are the best ground blocks for mushroom farming because they ignore light restrictions. This allows you to plant mushrooms in bright areas or outdoors without worrying about them popping off.

Mushrooms spread slowly under the right conditions. To grow mushrooms, place a red mushroom on dirt, grass, podzol, or mycelium. Ensure the light level is below 13, unless you are using podzol or mycelium, which ignore light restrictions. Over time, mushrooms will spread to nearby blocks.

However, mushrooms have a density cap. They will spread only if there are fewer than five mushrooms of the same type within a 9x9x3 area around them. If your farm is too crowded, they will stop spreading entirely. Managing spacing is essential for efficient mushroom farming.

You can grow a large red mushroom, also known as a giant mushroom, using bone meal. Place a red mushroom on dirt, grass, podzol, or mycelium. Make sure there is a high enough ceiling above, at least thirteen blocks of vertical clearance to allow the large mushroom to grow, as the ceiling must be tall enough for even the rare extra-tall variations.

You also need a seven-by-seven horizontal area cleared for the canopy to form. Using bone meal on the mushroom will cause it to grow into a large mushroom resembling a tree, with a thick stem and a wide cap. These mushroom blocks can be harvested for decoration or building. Without Silk Touch, mining huge mushroom blocks drops zero to two small mushrooms of the same color instead.

Red and brown mushrooms are combined with a bowl to craft Mushroom Stew. A crafting table is required to craft mushroom stew, suspicious stew, and rabbit stew. Red mushrooms can also be used with flowers to craft Suspicious Stew, which provides special potion effects depending on the flower used. Additionally, red mushrooms are an ingredient in the recipe for rabbit stew, a high-saturation food item valuable in survival gameplay.

They can also be grown into giant mushrooms for decoration and building. Mushroom blocks harvested from giant mushrooms can be used as solid building materials. Red mushrooms are also used in custom recipes with mods or datapacks, making them versatile in both survival and creative play.

For efficient mushroom farming in Minecraft, there are several helpful tricks you can use to maximize your yield. Efficient mushroom farming requires controlling light and block types. Use podzol, mycelium, or soul soil (especially in the Nether) to plant mushrooms anywhere, since they ignore light restrictions. Keep light levels below 13 to allow spreading on dirt or grass.

Remember the density cap: mushrooms will spread only if fewer than five of the same type exist within a 9x9x3 area. Use bone meal to grow giant mushrooms for bulk harvesting, and harvest mushroom blocks with Silk Touch tools to collect them intact. After harvesting, replant and repeat the process to maintain a steady supply of mushrooms.

In Minecraft survival, mushrooms aren't just found growing in the wild; they can also be collected through mob loot and trading. If you come across a mooshroom, a special cow found in mushroom fields, you can use shears on it to instantly receive 5 mushrooms of the same color as the mooshroom, whether red or brown. This process is a quick way to gather a large number of mushrooms without waiting for them to grow or spread.

Additionally, wandering traders sometimes sell mushrooms. For just 1 emerald, you can buy 3 mushrooms, either red or brown, directly from the trader. This makes trading a convenient option if you're short on mushrooms or want to expand your collection without searching biomes.

Both shearing mooshrooms and trading with wandering traders are repeatable processes, allowing you to stock up on mushrooms for crafting, building, or farming. These methods are especially useful in Minecraft survival mode, where every resource counts and efficient gathering can make a big difference in your game.

Mushrooms aren't just for food and farming; they're also perfect for adding style and sustainability to your Minecraft world. Both red and brown mushrooms can be placed in flower pots, making them a charming decorative touch for your home, garden, or any build that could use a bit of natural flair. Create mushroom-themed gardens, cozy indoor farms, or whimsical forest paths to make your world feel unique and alive.

Beyond decoration, mushrooms are also valuable for composting. By placing a mushroom into a composter, you have a 65% chance of raising the compost level by one. This is a great way to recycle extra mushrooms and speed up the process of making bone meal, which is essential for farming and growing other plants in the game. Using mushrooms for composting helps you make the most of your resources, turning surplus mushrooms into a useful resource for growing crops and sustaining your farm.

Whether you're making your Minecraft world more beautiful or more efficient, mushrooms are a versatile resource for both decoration and composting. Get creative and see how these small fungi can make a big impact in your game!

Use podzol or mycelium to bypass light restrictions and farm mushrooms anywhere. Maintain spacing to avoid hitting the density cap, which stops spreading. Sometimes, you simply need to wait for mushrooms to spread or grow, as the process can take time.

Grow giant mushrooms with bone meal in areas with thirteen blocks of vertical clearance and a seven-by-seven horizontal space. To craft bone meal, place bones from skeleton mobs into a crafting table to convert them into bone meal, which you can then use to speed up mushroom growth. This ensures all mushroom variations can grow.

Alternatively, shear Red Mooshrooms or Bogged mobs for extra mushrooms without farming.

Many players believe red mushrooms can be eaten directly, but they cannot. They must be crafted into stew. Another mistake is assuming mushrooms will spread in bright light. They only spread when the light level is below 13, unless planted on podzol, mycelium, or nylium.

A common myth is that mushrooms spread infinitely. In reality, they stop spreading if five or more mushrooms of the same type, such as red or brown mushrooms, are already nearby. Another myth is that crimson fungi are the same as red mushrooms. They are different plants entirely and cannot be used in mushroom stew recipes.

Some mushroom farming mechanics or commands may differ on the PC version of Minecraft, so always check for platform-specific details.

No, red mushrooms cannot be eaten directly. They must be crafted into stew.

You can place them on dirt, grass, podzol, mycelium, and nylium.

Only on podzol, mycelium, or nylium. Otherwise, the light level must be below 13.

Grow a giant red mushroom with bone meal and harvest it with a Silk Touch tool. Without Silk Touch, huge mushroom blocks drop zero to two small mushrooms.

They spawn in dark forests, swamps, caves, mushroom fields, and anywhere in the Nether with low light.

Red mushrooms are versatile plants in Minecraft. They spawn naturally in dark forests, swamps, caves, mushroom fields, and the Nether. You can plant them on dirt, grass, podzol, mycelium, or nylium, and they spread in low light as long as the density cap is not exceeded.

With bone meal, you can grow giant red mushrooms for decoration or mushroom blocks. While you cannot eat red mushrooms raw, they are essential for making stews and growing food. By learning how to grow red mushrooms in Minecraft, you can create efficient farms, decorate your builds, and enjoy one of the game's most iconic plants.