New York · October

What foragers look for in New York in October

16 of the 26 species on the New York 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.

‹ September November ›

Black walnutJuglans nigra
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=276 (62 in October)
USA-NPN cross-check: 15 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=1,583 (903 in October)
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=968 (184 in October)
USA-NPN cross-check: 29 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
ChagaInonotus obliquus
Records tailing off
87% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=430 (52 in October)
Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
Records tailing off
81% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=818 (289 in October)
King boleteBoletus edulis
Records tailing off
79% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=96 (23 in October)
Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
Records tailing off
76% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=1,253 (447 in October)
Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
Records tailing off
59% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=157 (26 in October)
USA-NPN cross-check: 233 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in September.
Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
Records tailing off
57% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=62 (13 in October)
SumacsRhus spp.
Records tailing off
53% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=2,095 (242 in October)
USA-NPN cross-check: 303 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
Records tailing off
50% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=4,002 (647 in October)
Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
Records tailing off
44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=713 (114 in October)
PawpawAsimina triloba
Records tailing off
24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=59 (4 in October)
Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
Records tailing off
22% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=2,281 (114 in October)
Wild grapesVitis spp.
Records tailing off
20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=60 (4 in October)
Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
Records tailing off
16% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=355 (15 in October)
USA-NPN cross-check: 252 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in July.

In New York, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black walnut, Hen of the woods (maitake), Wild roses (hips). Records of Elderberries, Chanterelles, Hazelnuts 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.

‹ September November ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in New York in October?

In public records for New York, people most often report these in October: Black walnut, Hen of the woods (maitake), Wild roses (hips), Chaga, Giant puffball, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, 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

Vermont in October Massachusetts in October Connecticut in October New Jersey in October Pennsylvania in October

New York: 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 York, 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 York, 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 16 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in October in New York. 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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