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Illinois · October

What foragers look for in Illinois in October

10 of the 19 species on the Illinois calendar have October 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.
‹ SeptemberNovember ›
  1. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=741 (347 in October)
  2. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=572 (294 in October)
  3. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=239 (106 in October)
  4. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=201 (44 in October)
  5. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Records tailing off
    81% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=159 (38 in October)
  6. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    55% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,903 (378 in October)
  7. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    50% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=102 (13 in October)
  8. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=962 (58 in October)
  9. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=59 (3 in October)
  10. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,969 (52 in October)

In Illinois, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake), Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips). Records of Elderberries, Pawpaw drop below the listing line after September. "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.

‹ SeptemberNovember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Illinois in October?

In public records for Illinois, people most often report these in October: Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake), Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips), American persimmon, Chicken of the woods, Black walnut, 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

Wisconsin in OctoberIowa in OctoberMissouri in OctoberKentucky in OctoberIndiana in October

Illinois: the whole year · October 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 October 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

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