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Massachusetts · October

What foragers look for in Massachusetts in October

14 of the 21 species on the Massachusetts calendar have October 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.
‹ SeptemberNovember ›
  1. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,343 (776 in October)
  2. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records tailing off
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=43 (12 in October)
  3. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=281 (124 in October)
  4. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=903 (170 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 34 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  5. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records tailing off
    77% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=166 (59 in October)
  6. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    74% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=168 (20 in October)
  7. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    63% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=302 (38 in October)
  8. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=73 (12 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in October.
  9. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,483 (150 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 55 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  10. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    34% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=513 (64 in October)
  11. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    30% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=2,872 (315 in October)
  12. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=53 (5 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 295 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in September.
  13. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=438 (17 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 142 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
  14. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=419 (21 in October)

In Massachusetts, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: Hen of the woods (maitake), Lion's mane and other Hericium. Records of Hazelnuts drop below the listing line after September. "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.

‹ SeptemberNovember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Massachusetts in October?

In public records for Massachusetts, people most often report these in October: Hen of the woods (maitake), King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips), Giant puffball, Chaga, Oyster mushrooms, Black walnut. 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 OctoberVermont in OctoberNew York in OctoberConnecticut in OctoberRhode Island in October

Massachusetts: the whole year · October 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 14 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in October 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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