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Maryland · September

What foragers look for in Maryland in September

15 of the 19 species on the Maryland 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, Maryland · n=716 (243 in September)
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=2,205 (555 in September)
  3. SumacsRhus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=346 (102 in September)
  4. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    95% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=166 (55 in September)
  5. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=256 (37 in September)
  6. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    74% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=1,086 (254 in September)
  7. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    73% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=124 (22 in September)
  8. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    70% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=953 (123 in September)
  9. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    64% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=42 (7 in September)
  10. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    57% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=662 (129 in September)
  11. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=129 (27 in September)
  12. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    32% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=893 (140 in September)
  13. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=645 (122 in September)
  14. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    16% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=59 (3 in September)
  15. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Maryland · n=167 (8 in September)

In Maryland, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Chicken of the woods, Sumacs. Records of Black cherry 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 Maryland in September?

In public records for Maryland, people most often report these in September: American persimmon, Chicken of the woods, Sumacs, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Wild roses (hips), Pawpaw, Black walnut, Oyster mushrooms. 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

Pennsylvania in SeptemberDelaware in SeptemberVirginia in SeptemberWest Virginia in September

Maryland: 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, Maryland, 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, Maryland, 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 Maryland. 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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