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Illinois · September

What foragers look for in Illinois in September

12 of the 19 species on the Illinois calendar have September 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.
‹ AugustOctober ›
  1. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=159 (47 in September)
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,903 (684 in September)
  3. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=192 (63 in September)
  4. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=201 (35 in September)
  5. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    79% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=572 (231 in September)
  6. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    77% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=102 (20 in September)
  7. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    66% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=962 (159 in September)
  8. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    64% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=741 (221 in September)
  9. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    57% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=239 (60 in September)
  10. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    36% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=1,969 (177 in September)
  11. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=122 (16 in September)
  12. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Illinois · n=59 (4 in September)

In Illinois, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Chicken of the woods, Pawpaw. Records of Black cherry, Chanterelles, American plum drop below the listing line after August. "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.

‹ AugustOctober ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Illinois in September?

In public records for Illinois, people most often report these in September: American persimmon, Chicken of the woods, Pawpaw, Wild roses (hips), Hen of the woods (maitake), Black walnut, Sumacs, Giant puffball. 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 SeptemberIowa in SeptemberMissouri in SeptemberKentucky in SeptemberIndiana in September

Illinois: the whole year · September 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 12 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September 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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It never identifies species or judges edibility. Free to start, no account.

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