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Minnesota · September

What foragers look for in Minnesota in September

17 of the 24 species on the Minnesota 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.
‹ AugustOctober ›
  1. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=957 (402 in September)
  2. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=549 (356 in September)
  3. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=94 (46 in September)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=496 (283 in September)
  5. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=49 (18 in September)
  6. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    96% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=168 (53 in September)
  7. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    95% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=373 (54 in September)
  8. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    86% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=40 (12 in September)
  9. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=120 (28 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Minnesota peak in September.
  10. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    83% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=2,388 (671 in September)
  11. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    56% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=685 (90 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 65 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Minnesota peak in August.
  12. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    49% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=428 (75 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 8 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Minnesota peak in July.
  13. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records tailing off
    45% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=181 (29 in September)
  14. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    36% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=1,706 (187 in September)
  15. American plumPrunus americana
    Records tailing off
    31% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=101 (16 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Minnesota peak in September.
  16. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=89 (9 in September)
  17. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    12% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Minnesota · n=379 (20 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 14 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Minnesota peak in July.

In Minnesota, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake), King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips). Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Chokecherry, Hazelnuts, Black cherry 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.

‹ AugustOctober ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Minnesota in September?

In public records for Minnesota, people most often report these in September: Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake), King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild roses (hips), Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chaga, Hickories and pecan. 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 SeptemberIowa in SeptemberSouth Dakota in September

Minnesota: 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, Minnesota, 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, Minnesota, 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 September in Minnesota. 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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