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California · December

What foragers look for in California in December

12 of the 20 species on the California calendar have December 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.
‹ NovemberJanuary ›
  1. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,956 (982 in December)
  2. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records tailing off
    95% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,630 (650 in December)
  3. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,831 (702 in December)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records tailing off
    84% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,681 (948 in December)
  5. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records tailing off
    75% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=450 (102 in December)
  6. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,586 (521 in December)
  7. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    35% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,132 (151 in December)
  8. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,785 (141 in December)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 116 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in October.
  9. MorelsMorchella spp.
    Records tailing off
    17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,176 (142 in December)
  10. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    16% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,069 (31 in December)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 115 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in May.
  11. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=11,500 (626 in December)
  12. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=163 (6 in December)

In California, December is the busiest month of the year for records of: Oyster mushrooms. Records of Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives drop below the listing line after November. "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.

‹ NovemberJanuary ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in California in December?

In public records for California, people most often report these in December: Oyster mushrooms, King bolete, Chanterelles, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Hedgehog mushrooms, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Prickly pear, Wild roses (hips). 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 December

California: the whole year · December 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 12 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in December 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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