Massachusetts · November

What foragers look for in Massachusetts in November

5 of the 21 species on the Massachusetts calendar have November 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.

‹ October December ›

Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
Records tailing off
60% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=302 (36 in November)
ChagaInonotus obliquus
Records tailing off
59% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=168 (16 in November)
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Records tailing off
43% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=903 (83 in November)
USA-NPN cross-check: 34 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
SumacsRhus spp.
Records tailing off
26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,483 (80 in November)
USA-NPN cross-check: 55 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
Records tailing off
11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=281 (14 in November)

None of the rows peaks in November in Massachusetts. Records of Black walnut, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chanterelles, Black trumpets and other Craterellus drop below the listing line after October. "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.

‹ October December ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Massachusetts in November?

In public records for Massachusetts, people most often report these in November: Oyster mushrooms, Chaga, Wild roses (hips), Sumacs, Lion's mane and other Hericium. 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 November Vermont in November New York in November Connecticut in November Rhode Island in November

Massachusetts: the whole year · November 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 5 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in November 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.

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