Forager's Field NotesForaging calendar · public records
Foraging calendar: California
Month by month, when people in California record the things foragers look for: 20 species from 48,735 public observations. Darker means more of that row's records fall in that month.
| Recorded | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp. iNaturalist · n=2,586 | ||||||||||||
| ChanterellesCantharellus spp. iNaturalist · n=3,831 | ||||||||||||
| Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp. iNaturalist · n=450 | ||||||||||||
| Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp. iNaturalist · n=3,681 | ||||||||||||
| SumacsRhus spp. iNaturalist · n=1,069 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak May (n=115) | ||||||||||||
| MorelsMorchella spp. iNaturalist · n=3,176 | ||||||||||||
| MulberriesMorus spp. iNaturalist · n=54 | ||||||||||||
| HazelnutsCorylus spp. iNaturalist · n=295 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Aug (n=19) | ||||||||||||
| Wild strawberriesFragaria spp. iNaturalist · n=255 | ||||||||||||
| Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp. iNaturalist · n=3,390 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Jun (n=99) | ||||||||||||
| ElderberriesSambucus spp. iNaturalist · n=4,818 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Jul (n=1302) | ||||||||||||
| Prickly pearOpuntia spp. iNaturalist · n=3,132 | ||||||||||||
| Serviceberries (juneberries)Amelanchier spp. iNaturalist · n=101 | ||||||||||||
| Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp. iNaturalist · n=1,526 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Jul (n=49) | ||||||||||||
| ChokecherryPrunus virginiana iNaturalist · n=337 | ||||||||||||
| Wild grapesVitis spp. iNaturalist · n=163 | ||||||||||||
| Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp. iNaturalist · n=2,785 · USA-NPN ripe fruits peak Oct (n=116) | ||||||||||||
| Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp. iNaturalist · n=11,500 | ||||||||||||
| King boleteBoletus edulis iNaturalist · n=2,630 | ||||||||||||
| Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp. iNaturalist · n=2,956 |
Questions
When do people record mushrooms in California?
In the public records, the busiest months are: Chicken of the woods (Oct), Chanterelles (Jan), Lion's mane and other Hericium (Jan), Morels (May), Oyster mushrooms (Dec), King bolete (Nov). 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 California?
Records of plants with fruit peak as follows: Elderberries (Jul), Blackberries, raspberries and relatives (Jul), Prickly pear (Jul), Wild roses (hips) (Sep), Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives (Aug), Sumacs (Apr). 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
- iNaturalist
- Research-grade observations, California, 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, California, 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 California 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
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.