Iowa · October

What foragers look for in Iowa in October

6 of the 9 species on the Iowa 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.

‹ September November ›

Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=125 (62 in October)
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=45 (13 in October)
Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
Records tailing off
93% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=183 (69 in October)
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
Records tailing off
89% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=85 (32 in October)
Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
Records tailing off
47% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=455 (69 in October)
SumacsRhus spp.
Records tailing off
32% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Iowa · n=151 (11 in October)

In Iowa, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: Hen of the woods (maitake), Wild roses (hips). Records of Oyster mushrooms, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives 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.

‹ September November ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Iowa in October?

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

Minnesota in October Wisconsin in October Illinois in October Missouri in October Nebraska in October

Iowa: 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, Iowa, 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, Iowa, 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 6 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in October in Iowa. 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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