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California · January

What foragers look for in California in January

10 of the 20 species on the California calendar have January 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.
‹ DecemberFebruary ›
  1. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,586 (838 in January)
  2. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,831 (827 in January)
  3. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=450 (136 in January)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,681 (1,133 in January)
  5. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    57% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,956 (562 in January)
  6. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records rising
    33% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,630 (227 in January)
  7. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records rising
    28% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,132 (122 in January)
  8. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,069 (43 in January)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 115 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in May.
  9. MorelsMorchella spp.
    Records rising
    21% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,176 (175 in January)
  10. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,785 (81 in January)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 116 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in October.

In California, January is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chanterelles, Hedgehog mushrooms, Lion's mane and other Hericium. "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.

‹ DecemberFebruary ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in California in January?

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

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