Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

California · November

What foragers look for in California in November

12 of the 20 species on the California calendar have November 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.
‹ OctoberDecember ›
  1. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,630 (682 in November)
  2. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,831 (663 in November)
  3. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    55% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,956 (538 in November)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records tailing off
    54% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,681 (615 in November)
  5. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=11,500 (2,085 in November)
  6. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    46% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=3,132 (196 in November)
  7. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    45% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,785 (256 in November)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 116 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in October.
  8. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    29% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=2,586 (247 in November)
  9. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records tailing off
    24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=450 (32 in November)
  10. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,069 (29 in November)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 115 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in May.
  11. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=1,526 (62 in November)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 49 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in California peak in July.
  12. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records tailing off
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, California · n=163 (7 in November)

In California, November is the busiest month of the year for records of: King bolete. Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Elderberries, Chokecherry drop below the listing line after October. "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.

‹ OctoberDecember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in California in November?

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

California: the whole year · November 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 November 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.

App StoreGoogle PlayBuild your own calendar