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Illinois · May

What foragers look for in Illinois in May

10 of the 19 species on the Illinois calendar have May 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.
‹ AprilJune ›
  1. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,969 (490 in May)
  2. Serviceberries (juneberries)Amelanchier spp.
    Records tailing off
    62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=58 (13 in May)
  3. MorelsMorchella spp.
    Records tailing off
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=863 (288 in May)
  4. MulberriesMorus spp.
    Records rising
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=54 (16 in May)
  5. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    21% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,903 (143 in May)
  6. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records rising
    21% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=192 (13 in May)
  7. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=962 (43 in May)
  8. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=59 (3 in May)
  9. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records rising
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=147 (8 in May)
  10. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    10% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=239 (11 in May)

In Illinois, May is the busiest month of the year for records of: Oyster mushrooms. "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.

‹ AprilJune ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Illinois in May?

In public records for Illinois, people most often report these in May: Oyster mushrooms, Serviceberries (juneberries), Morels, Mulberries, Chicken of the woods, Pawpaw, Sumacs, 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

Wisconsin in MayIowa in MayMissouri in MayKentucky in MayIndiana in May

Illinois: the whole year · May 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, Illinois, 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, Illinois, 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 May in Illinois. 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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