Massachusetts · September

What foragers look for in Massachusetts in September

15 of the 21 species on the Massachusetts 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.

‹ August October ›

Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=2,872 (1,036 in September)
Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=166 (77 in September)
King boleteBoletus edulis
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=43 (12 in September)
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
Records rising
94% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=281 (117 in September)
SumacsRhus spp.
Records tailing off
92% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,483 (289 in September)
USA-NPN cross-check: 55 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
Records tailing off
84% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=438 (98 in September)
USA-NPN cross-check: 142 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Records tailing off
75% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=903 (145 in September)
USA-NPN cross-check: 34 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in July.
Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
Records rising
65% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=1,343 (503 in September)
Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
Records tailing off
63% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=513 (118 in September)
Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
Records tailing off
62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=302 (37 in September)
Black walnutJuglans nigra
Records tailing off
60% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=73 (15 in September)
USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in October.
ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
Records tailing off
45% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=419 (73 in September)
Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
Records tailing off
40% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=53 (8 in September)
USA-NPN cross-check: 295 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Massachusetts peak in September.
ChagaInonotus obliquus
Records tailing off
33% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=168 (9 in September)
HazelnutsCorylus spp.
Records tailing off
14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Massachusetts · n=317 (18 in September)

In Massachusetts, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: Chicken of the woods, Giant puffball, King bolete. Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Chokecherry, Black cherry, Elderberries 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.

‹ August October ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Massachusetts in September?

In public records for Massachusetts, people most often report these in September: Chicken of the woods, Giant puffball, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Sumacs, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Wild roses (hips), Hen of the woods (maitake). 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 September Vermont in September New York in September Connecticut in September Rhode Island in September

Massachusetts: 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, 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 15 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September 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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