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New Hampshire · October

What foragers look for in New Hampshire in October

10 of the 16 species on the New Hampshire 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
    Records tailing off
    92% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=188 (88 in October)
  2. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=113 (22 in October)
  3. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=334 (33 in October)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records tailing off
    73% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=420 (132 in October)
  5. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=189 (20 in October)
  6. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records tailing off
    43% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=40 (6 in October)
  7. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    33% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=381 (42 in October)
  8. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    27% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=288 (24 in October)
  9. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    27% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=489 (45 in October)
  10. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New Hampshire · n=65 (5 in October)

None of the rows peaks in October in New Hampshire. Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Chokecherry, Elderberries, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives 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 New Hampshire in October?

In public records for New Hampshire, people most often report these in October: Hen of the woods (maitake), Wild roses (hips), Chaga, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Oyster mushrooms, King bolete, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Sumacs. 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

Maine in OctoberVermont in OctoberMassachusetts in October

New Hampshire: 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, New Hampshire, 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, New Hampshire, 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 10 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in October in New Hampshire. 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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