Forager's Field NotesMushroom season calendar · public records
Mushroom season calendar
When people across the US record 11 mushroom groups foragers look for, month by month, from 204,605 research-grade iNaturalist observations. Darker means more of that row's records fall in that month.
| Recorded | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MorelsMorchella spp. iNaturalist · n=17,729 | ||||||||||||
| Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp. iNaturalist · n=40,734 | ||||||||||||
| ChanterellesCantharellus spp. iNaturalist · n=23,592 | ||||||||||||
| Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp. iNaturalist · n=12,653 | ||||||||||||
| ChagaInonotus obliquus iNaturalist · n=3,049 | ||||||||||||
| Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp. iNaturalist · n=58,827 | ||||||||||||
| Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp. iNaturalist · n=1,558 | ||||||||||||
| Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea iNaturalist · n=7,043 | ||||||||||||
| Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa iNaturalist · n=11,696 | ||||||||||||
| King boleteBoletus edulis iNaturalist · n=6,634 | ||||||||||||
| Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp. iNaturalist · n=21,090 |
Peak month of records by state
| State | Morels | Chanterelles |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Mar | Jul |
| Alaska | Jun | Sep |
| Arizona | Apr | Aug |
| Arkansas | Apr | Jun |
| California | May | Jan |
| Colorado | May | Aug |
| Connecticut | May | Jul |
| Delaware | – | Jul |
| Florida | – | Sep |
| Georgia | Mar | Jun |
| Idaho | May | Sep |
| Illinois | Apr | Jul |
| Indiana | Apr | Jul |
| Iowa | Apr | – |
| Kansas | Apr | – |
| Kentucky | Apr | Jul |
| Louisiana | – | Jul |
| Maine | – | Jul |
| Maryland | Apr | Jul |
| Massachusetts | May | Jul |
| Michigan | May | Jul |
| Minnesota | May | Jul |
| Mississippi | Mar | Jul |
| Missouri | Apr | Jul |
| Montana | May | – |
| Nebraska | Apr | – |
| New Hampshire | – | Aug |
| New Jersey | Apr | Jul |
| New York | May | Jul |
| North Carolina | Apr | Aug |
| Ohio | Apr | Jul |
| Oklahoma | Apr | Jun |
| Oregon | Apr | Oct |
| Pennsylvania | Apr | Jul |
| Rhode Island | – | Jul |
| South Carolina | – | Aug |
| Tennessee | Apr | Jul |
| Texas | Mar | Jun |
| Utah | May | Aug |
| Vermont | May | Jul |
| Virginia | Apr | Aug |
| Washington | Apr | Oct |
| West Virginia | Apr | Jul |
| Wisconsin | May | Jul |
Questions
When is mushroom season?
It depends on the mushroom and the state. Peak month of US public records: Chicken of the woods: September; Oyster mushrooms: May; Chanterelles: July; Lion's mane and other Hericium: October; Morels: April; Black trumpets and other Craterellus: August. Use your state's page for local records.
When is morel season?
In US records morels peak in April, earlier in the South and later in the North; the table below gives each state's peak month of records.
Can this calendar tell me which mushrooms are safe?
No. It only shows when people recorded mushrooms. It never identifies a mushroom or judges edibility. Confirm every find with a qualified local expert.
Source and date
- iNaturalist
- Research-grade observations, all 50 states, 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
- Rows
- Every mushroom group on the calendar; the state table uses each state's own rows (at least 40 records). 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.