Michigan · August

What foragers look for in Michigan in August

20 of the 24 species on the Michigan 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.

‹ July September ›

ChagaInonotus obliquus
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=298 (62 in August)
ElderberriesSambucus spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=616 (188 in August)
Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=86 (38 in August)
PawpawAsimina triloba
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=94 (33 in August)
Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
Records rising
91% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=502 (148 in August)
Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
Records tailing off
90% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=3,791 (720 in August)
Wild grapesVitis spp.
Records rising
88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=58 (14 in August)
ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
Records tailing off
86% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=665 (235 in August)
SumacsRhus spp.
Records tailing off
80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=739 (161 in August)
Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
Records rising
75% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=2,340 (605 in August)
Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
Records tailing off
66% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=190 (45 in August)
Black walnutJuglans nigra
Records rising
65% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=57 (11 in August)
USA-NPN cross-check: 19 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Michigan peak in October.
ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
Records tailing off
60% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=57 (15 in August)
King boleteBoletus edulis
Records rising
39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=58 (11 in August)
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Records rising
38% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=362 (30 in August)
HazelnutsCorylus spp.
Records tailing off
30% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=48 (8 in August)
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
Records rising
26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=977 (124 in August)
Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
Records rising
18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=591 (49 in August)
Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
Records tailing off
12% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=424 (35 in August)
Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
Records rising
10% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Michigan · n=832 (43 in August)

In Michigan, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: Chaga, Elderberries, Hedgehog mushrooms, Pawpaw. Records of Mulberries, Serviceberries (juneberries), 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.

‹ July September ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Michigan in August?

In public records for Michigan, people most often report these in August: Chaga, Elderberries, Hedgehog mushrooms, Pawpaw, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Oyster mushrooms, Wild grapes, Chanterelles. 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

Wisconsin in August Indiana in August Ohio in August

Michigan: 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, Michigan, 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, Michigan, 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 20 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in Michigan. 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 Store Google Play Build your own calendar