Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

Massachusetts · July

What foragers look for in Massachusetts in July

17 of the 21 species on the Massachusetts calendar have July 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.
‹ JuneAugust ›
  1. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=73 (25 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in October.
  2. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=409 (206 in July)
  3. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=438 (117 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 142 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  4. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=419 (162 in July)
  5. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=57 (33 in July)
  6. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=317 (133 in July)
  7. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=302 (60 in July)
  8. SumacsRhus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,483 (313 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 55 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  9. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records rising
    94% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=244 (74 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 25 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in August.
  10. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records rising
    92% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=43 (11 in July)
  11. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records rising
    66% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=513 (124 in July)
  12. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    61% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=903 (118 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 34 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  13. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records rising
    60% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=53 (12 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 295 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in September.
  14. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=168 (12 in July)
  15. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    42% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=2,872 (431 in July)
  16. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records rising
    37% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=251 (51 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 177 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in August.
  17. Wild strawberriesFragaria spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=43 (3 in July)

In Massachusetts, July is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black walnut, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chanterelles, Chokecherry. "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.

‹ JuneAugust ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Massachusetts in July?

In public records for Massachusetts, people most often report these in July: Black walnut, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chanterelles, Chokecherry, Hazelnuts, Oyster mushrooms, 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 JulyVermont in JulyNew York in JulyConnecticut in JulyRhode Island in July

Massachusetts: the whole year · July 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 17 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in July 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

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.

App StoreGoogle PlayBuild your own calendar