Hilltop Worm Farm

A cold-loving strain that also grows fast, called **Hilltop Worm Farm**, named by its discoverer, Dakota Linkous of Hilltop Worm Farm & Exotics LLC, who found it in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. He discovered it on a piece of wood in its hardened, dormant stage.

Unlike all of my other strains, which either never or only rarely enter this stage, this one does it quite readily. My current understanding is that it's a stress response to things like dirty culture media and warmer temperatures. Once it enters this stage, it can take weeks to come back, and unlike true sclerotia, it can't be stored long-term. It also stinks quite a bit and, when it's happy, grows into a fun spaghetti-like form.

This strain does not tolerate temperatures of **80°F (27°C) or higher** in captivity. Every time it gets that warm, it goes dormant. It makes me wonder how it established itself in North Carolina, where summer temperatures can easily reach the 90s. I sympathize with it though, because I'm a cold-loving human myself. The embodiment of Elsa, if you will.