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Indiana · September

What foragers look for in Indiana in September

15 of the 19 species on the Indiana 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, Indiana · n=129 (33 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 19 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Indiana peak in October.
  2. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=94 (21 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 28 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Indiana peak in September.
  3. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=1,540 (505 in September)
  4. SumacsRhus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=523 (116 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 20 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Indiana peak in October.
  5. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=208 (56 in September)
  6. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    95% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=312 (72 in September)
  7. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    87% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=67 (13 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 12 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Indiana peak in September.
  8. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    58% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=331 (80 in September)
  9. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=1,036 (97 in September)
  10. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=449 (103 in September)
  11. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    36% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=229 (40 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 10 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Indiana peak in August.
  12. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=285 (53 in September)
  13. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records tailing off
    23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=44 (5 in September)
  14. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records tailing off
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=51 (3 in September)
  15. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Indiana · n=745 (36 in September)

In Indiana, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Sumacs, Wild roses (hips). Records of Black trumpets and other Craterellus 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 Indiana in September?

In public records for Indiana, people most often report these in September: American persimmon, Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Sumacs, Wild roses (hips), Pawpaw, Hickories and pecan, Lion's mane and other Hericium. 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

Illinois in SeptemberMichigan in SeptemberOhio in SeptemberKentucky in September

Indiana: 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, Indiana, 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, Indiana, 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 15 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September in Indiana. 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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