Alex Dombrowski

Hi Judith, thanks for the reply and the spore print update - I went back and had a look, that definitely helps a lot and makes the wine cap ID even more convincing.

I totally get your approach, books and local mycology folks are usually way more reliable than any app or quick online tool. Google Lens can be hit or miss, especially with older or weathered specimens, so I wouldn’t rely on it alone either. Permies is actually a great mix because you get both experience and discussion instead of just an automated guess.

Wow, that’s awesome - both the idea and the execution. Using cedar limbs and even mini shake shingles is such a cool touch, sounds like a ton of detail went into it and it looks super amazing.

Those actually do look a lot like wine caps to me - especially the color, the cracking on the caps, the dark gills, and the fact they’re growing in wood-rich beds. The ring on the stem you mentioned earlier also fits. That said, they’re pretty mature and beat up, which makes ID less certain. There are a few lookalikes, so I still wouldn’t call it 100% without seeing younger specimens or doing a spore print. If they come back, try to catch them earlier - wine caps usually have a more rounded cap when young and a clearer ring. A dark purplish-brown spore print would also support that ID. If it is wine cap, you’re in luck - they spread really well in wood chips. Just add fresh chips and keep it moist, and they’ll likely establish themselves in that path over time.

In any case, I recommend always using two tools if you're unsure about something like that:
1. google lens
2. instant plant identification

Yeah, I save seeds most years. Storage-wise you’re on the right track so keeping them cool, dry, and dark matters more than the container itself. I usually throw in a silica packet just to keep moisture down. As for age, it really depends on the crop. Things like tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas can stay viable quite a long time (5–10 years sometimes), but onions, parsnips, and corn drop off fast. Squash and cucumbers usually hold up pretty well for several years if stored right. With 8–10 year old seeds, you’ll probably see lower germination, but some should still pop. You can always do a quick germination test indoors (paper towel method) before planting to get an idea. Honestly, I do the same thing usually as you plant them anyway and see what happens

Miscanthus  giganteus is definitely impressive, but yeah… it’s not quite as magical as it sounds on paper.

The yield part is real - it can put out a ton of biomass once established, and it doesn’t need heavy inputs every year. But the ‘grows on marginal land with no downsides’ angle is a bit oversold. It still needs decent moisture to really perform, especially in the first couple of years while it’s establishing.

For bedding and mulch, it’s actually a solid use. The absorbency claim isn’t totally crazy -the pithy core does help. A lot of people in Europe use it for animal bedding with good results.

Where I’d be more cautious is firebreaks - dry miscanthus is basically tinder. Green, irrigated stands might resist ignition somewhat, but once it cures out, it can carry fire pretty fast. I wouldn’t rely on it as a primary firebreak without serious management.

Also worth noting: establishment can be slow and not cheap (rhizomes), and it doesn’t spread aggressively because it’s sterile, so you’re planting everything intentionally.

For southern BC specifically  it can grow there, but performance will depend a lot on your rainfall/irrigation. In drier areas, it won’t hit those “giant biomass” expectations without water.

Overall though, as a multi-use biomass crop? Yeah, it’s legit - just not quite the miracle plant some articles make it out to be.

Yeah cause there actually are some good moschata options that get pretty close. ‘Long Island Cheese’ and ‘Musquée de Provence’ are probably the closest in terms of flavor and texture. Also ‘Dickinson’ types (what they use for canned pumpkin) are moschata and work great for pies. They won’t look exactly like sugar pumpkins, but the flesh is dense, sweet, and honestly often better for cooking.