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Massachusetts · August

What foragers look for in Massachusetts in August

18 of the 21 species on the Massachusetts calendar have August 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.
‹ JulySeptember ›
  1. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=251 (139 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 177 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in August.
  2. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=513 (187 in August)
  3. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=244 (79 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 25 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in August.
  4. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=53 (20 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 295 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in September.
  5. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=903 (193 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 34 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  6. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    90% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=419 (146 in August)
  7. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    89% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,483 (278 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 55 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  8. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    69% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=2,872 (714 in August)
  9. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    64% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=438 (75 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 142 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  10. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Records tailing off
    53% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=317 (70 in August)
  11. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=302 (31 in August)
  12. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=73 (12 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in October.
  13. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Records tailing off
    42% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=57 (14 in August)
  14. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records tailing off
    41% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=409 (85 in August)
  15. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    41% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=168 (11 in August)
  16. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records rising
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=43 (3 in August)
  17. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    22% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=166 (17 in August)
  18. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=281 (19 in August)

In Massachusetts, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black cherry, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Elderberries, Hickories and pecan, Wild roses (hips). Records of Wild strawberries drop below the listing line after July. "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.

‹ JulySeptember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Massachusetts in August?

In public records for Massachusetts, people most often report these in August: Black cherry, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Elderberries, Hickories and pecan, Wild roses (hips), Chanterelles, Sumacs, Chicken of the woods. 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 AugustVermont in AugustNew York in AugustConnecticut in AugustRhode Island in August

Massachusetts: the whole year · August 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, Massachusetts, 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, Massachusetts, 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 18 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in Massachusetts. 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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