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California · August

What foragers look for in California in August

13 of the 20 species on the California calendar have August records. Listed by how much of each row's year falls in this 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.
‹ JulySeptember ›
  1. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,526 (431 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 49 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in July.
  2. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=337 (135 in August)
  3. Serviceberries (juneberries)Amelanchier spp.
    Records tailing off
    97% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=101 (31 in August)
  4. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    90% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,785 (513 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 116 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in October.
  5. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    67% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=4,818 (882 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 1302 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in July.
  6. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records tailing off
    59% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,390 (556 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 99 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in June.
  7. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    58% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,132 (248 in August)
  8. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records rising
    43% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=163 (23 in August)
  9. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Records tailing off
    26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=295 (27 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 19 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in August.
  10. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=11,500 (1,011 in August)
  11. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,069 (47 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 115 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in May.
  12. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records rising
    20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,630 (136 in August)
  13. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,831 (114 in August)

In California, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chokecherry. Records of Mulberries, Wild strawberries drop below the listing line after July. "Peak month" means the month with the most records for that row; "rising" and "tailing off" describe the record counts on either side of it, nothing about the plant or fungus itself.

‹ JulySeptember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in California in August?

In public records for California, people most often report these in August: Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chokecherry, Serviceberries (juneberries), Wild roses (hips), Elderberries, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Prickly pear, Wild grapes. This is a list of records, not of anything safe to eat.

Does a record mean it is ripe or edible?

No. A record means someone reported the species that month. It says nothing about ripeness, quantity or edibility, and many have dangerous lookalikes. Confirm every find with a qualified local expert.

Same month, nearby

Oregon in AugustArizona in August

California: the whole year · August across the US

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, 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
The 13 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in California. Common names are the ones foragers use and are not an identification; the scientific name is the source's taxon.

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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