Lion's Mane, Chaga and Cordyceps are three different functional mushrooms with very different traditions behind them. Lion's Mane is traditionally associated with focus, Cordyceps with energy and stamina, and Chaga with immune health and general wellbeing. Here's how they compare.
At a glance
| Lion's Mane | Chaga | Cordyceps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin name | Hericium erinaceus | Inonotus obliquus | Cordyceps militaris |
| What it looks like | White and shaggy, with long dangling spines | A dark, cracked growth like charcoal on birch bark | Small, orange and club-shaped |
| Where it grows | On dead hardwood trees | On birch trees in cold climates, especially Russia and Northern Europe | Cultivated; its wild relative grows at high altitude in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau |
| Traditionally associated with | Focus and mental clarity | Immune health and general wellbeing | Energy and stamina |
| Traditionally taken as | Food in East Asian cooking, or as an extract | A tea brewed from the dried growth | Teas, tonics and broths |
| Its role in a morning blend | The focus ingredient | The long-game ingredient | The energy ingredient |
| Caffeine | None | None | None |
Lion's Mane
Lion's Mane is an edible mushroom that grows on dead hardwood trees and is easy to recognise by its long white spines. It's eaten as food in East Asian cooking and has a long history in East Asian traditional practice, where it's associated with focus and mental clarity.
It's one of the best-known functional mushrooms in the world, and the one most people reach for first when they want a clearer, more focused start to the day. Everything you need to know about Lion's Mane.
Chaga
Chaga isn't a typical-looking mushroom at all. It's a dark, cracked growth on the side of birch trees in cold climates, and it has been brewed as a tea in Russia and Northern Europe for centuries, traditionally associated with immune health and general wellbeing.
It naturally contains polyphenols and beta-glucans, and it's the one people take for the long game: not a quick lift, but part of looking after yourself every day.
Cordyceps
Wild Cordyceps grows at high altitude in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau, famously on caterpillar larvae. It's rare and very expensive, so the Cordyceps in supplements today is almost always Cordyceps militaris, a related species cultivated on plant-based materials.
In Tibetan and Chinese traditional practice it's associated with energy and stamina, which is why it's become a favourite in sports nutrition and with anyone who wants their morning to run on more than caffeine.
Chaga or Cordyceps?
They come from different traditions. Cordyceps is the one traditionally associated with energy and stamina; Chaga with immune health and general wellbeing. Chaga has traditionally been drunk as a tea, and Cordyceps taken in tonics and broths. Neither contains caffeine.
Lion's Mane or Cordyceps?
These are the two most often taken in the morning. Lion's Mane is traditionally associated with focus and clarity, Cordyceps with energy and stamina. If you're choosing one, the question is which of those you're after; many people take both.
Lion's Mane or Chaga?
Lion's Mane is a food mushroom with a focus tradition; Chaga is a tree growth brewed as a tea, associated with general wellbeing. Lion's Mane is the one for a sharper morning; Chaga is the everyday, long-game one.
Which one should you take?
If you can't decide, you don't have to. On a busy morning, focus, energy and feeling well aren't separate problems, and these three mushrooms come from three different traditions that cover all of them. That's exactly why GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUNGI® puts all three in one spoon, rather than asking you to buy and remember three products.
As with any supplement, speak to your GP first if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication. Memorial Sloan Kettering notes that Chaga may interact with blood-thinning and blood sugar medication, so check before taking it if either applies to you.
Fruiting body or mycelium?
Whichever mushroom you choose, check which part is used. Fruiting body extracts come from the mushroom itself; mycelium products are often grown on grain, which can end up in the final powder. How to read a mushroom supplement label.
Where they appear in GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUNGI®
All three are in GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUNGI® as concentrated fruiting body extracts, each equivalent to 1,000mg of mushroom, alongside Korean ginseng and bacopa. Each serving also gives you 100% NRV of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and D. Vitamins B6, B9, B12, C and D contribute to the normal function of the immune system, and B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12 and C to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
One level teaspoon in your coffee, matcha, smoothie, protein shake, overnight oats or yoghurt bowl. Unflavoured — works with everything, changes nothing.
Sources
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: Lion's Mane Mushroom
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: Chaga Mushroom
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: Cordyceps
- Jędrejko M. et al. (2026). Current Evidence of Ergogenic and Post-Exercise Recovery Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Cordyceps militaris in Humans — A Narrative Review. Nutrients, 18(5), 781.