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Maine · September

What foragers look for in Maine in September

14 of the 17 species on the Maine 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. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=440 (182 in September)
  2. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=85 (40 in September)
  3. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=251 (128 in September)
  4. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    89% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=119 (54 in September)
  5. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    84% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=266 (32 in September)
  6. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    55% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=210 (33 in September)
  7. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    50% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=496 (103 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 42 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Maine peak in September.
  8. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    45% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=479 (71 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 10 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Maine peak in October.
  9. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    41% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=497 (99 in September)
  10. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    34% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=825 (126 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 149 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Maine peak in August.
  11. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=49 (5 in September)
  12. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=98 (8 in September)
  13. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Records tailing off
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=116 (10 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Maine peak in August.
  14. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maine · n=254 (12 in September)

In Maine, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: Chicken of the woods, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium. Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Hazelnuts 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 Maine in September?

In public records for Maine, people most often report these in September: Chicken of the woods, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Hen of the woods (maitake), Chaga, Oyster mushrooms, Wild roses (hips), 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

New Hampshire in September

Maine: 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, Maine, 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, Maine, 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 14 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September in Maine. 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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