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United States · December

What foragers look for in December

11 of the 29 mushrooms, fruits and nuts on this calendar have US records in December. Records differ a lot by state, so each row lists the states where December clears the listing line.

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.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  1. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records tailing off
    66% of this row's US peak · n=1,558 US records · listed for December in 3 states: California, Oregon, Washington
  2. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    48% of this row's US peak · n=40,734 US records · listed for December in 30 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and 18 more
  3. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records tailing off
    38% of this row's US peak · n=6,634 US records · listed for December in 1 state: California
  4. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    36% of this row's US peak · n=4,369 US records · listed for December in 4 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Texas
  5. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records tailing off
    35% of this row's US peak · n=21,090 US records · listed for December in 17 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma and 5 more
  6. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    30% of this row's US peak · n=12,644 US records · listed for December in 28 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi and 16 more
  7. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    28% of this row's US peak · n=12,653 US records · listed for December in 3 states: California, Oregon, Washington
  8. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    24% of this row's US peak · n=3,049 US records · listed for December in 9 states: Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin
  9. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    21% of this row's US peak · n=22,449 US records · listed for December in 26 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and 14 more
  10. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    18% of this row's US peak · n=23,592 US records · listed for December in 3 states: California, Oregon, Washington
  11. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    15% of this row's US peak · n=1,595 US records · listed for December in 5 states: Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas

"Peak month" is the month with the most US records for that row; "rising" and "tailing off" describe the counts either side of it, nothing about the plant or fungus.

Questions

What can you forage in December?

This page cannot tell you what is safe to forage. It shows what people across the US record in December: Hedgehog mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, King bolete, Prickly pear, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips), Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chaga. Check your own state's page, and confirm every find with a qualified local expert.

Is December a good month for mushrooms?

7 of the 11 mushroom groups on this calendar have US records in December. Records are not a forecast for your patch.

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, all 50 states, 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
Rows
A row appears when December holds at least 10% of the row's busiest US month. The state list uses each state's own rows. Common names are the ones foragers use and are not an identification; the scientific name is the source's taxon.

Pick your state · Mushroom season calendar

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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