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Foraging calendar: Alaska

Month by month, when people in Alaska record the things foragers look for: 13 species from 3,617 public observations. Darker means more of that row's records fall in that month.

Never eat anything based on this page or on the app. These tables show when people recorded these species in public datasets. They do not say anything is ripe, edible or safe, and they do not help identify a find. Confirm every find with a qualified local expert.

Jump to a month:

JuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober
RecordedJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MorelsMorchella spp.
iNaturalist · n=78
Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
iNaturalist · n=582 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Aug (n=17)
ElderberriesSambucus spp.
iNaturalist · n=138 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Aug (n=23)
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
iNaturalist · n=52 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Aug (n=27)
Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
iNaturalist · n=337
Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
iNaturalist · n=704 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Aug (n=155)
ChagaInonotus obliquus
iNaturalist · n=136
Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
iNaturalist · n=676
King boleteBoletus edulis
iNaturalist · n=400
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
iNaturalist · n=323
Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
iNaturalist · n=44
Serviceberries (juneberries)Amelanchier spp.
iNaturalist · n=69
ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
iNaturalist · n=78
Share of the row's records: few some most peak month

Questions

When do people record mushrooms in Alaska?

In the public records, the busiest months are: Chicken of the woods (Aug), King bolete (Aug), Black trumpets and other Craterellus (Aug), Lion's mane and other Hericium (Aug), Chaga (Aug), Morels (Jun). That is when people reported them, not a forecast or a statement that anything is safe to eat.

When do people record wild fruit and nuts in Alaska?

Records of plants with fruit peak as follows: Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives (Aug), Blackberries, raspberries and relatives (Jul), Elderberries (Jul), Serviceberries (juneberries) (Aug), Wild roses (hips) (Jul). Fruit on a plant in a record says nothing about ripeness or edibility.

Is this a guide to what is safe to eat?

No. It lists when people recorded species in public datasets. It does not identify anything or judge edibility. Confirm every find with a qualified local expert.

Source and date

Counts are public records by calendar month, shown as a share of each row's busiest month. A record means someone reported the species that month; it says nothing about quantity, ripeness or safety. Records follow where and when people go out, so busy weekends and popular parks count more than remote ground.

iNaturalist
Research-grade observations, Alaska, all years to 2026-10-20: mushrooms as all observations; fruit and nut plants as observations annotated "Fruits or Seeds". Retrieved 2026-10-20 from the iNaturalist API. inaturalist.org
USA-NPN
Nature's Notebook "Ripe fruits" phenophase status records, Alaska, 2009–2025 (one record = one plant in one year, from first to last "yes"). Retrieved 2026-10-20 from the USA National Phenology Network data service, shown as a cross-check where a row has at least 8 records. usanpn.org
Rows
A row appears when a species has at least 40 Alaska records; a month page exists when at least 3 rows have records that month. Common names are the ones foragers use and are not an identification; the scientific name is the source's taxon.

Nearby states

Washington

All states · Mushroom season calendar (US)

Record what you find

Forager's Field Notes is a private journal: your own names, your own patches, stored only on your phone. Log a find and your own calendar builds itself, week by week, with a year wheel you can share and a field checklist for next month.

It never identifies species or judges edibility. Free to start, no account.

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