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New York · September

What foragers look for in New York in September

19 of the 26 species on the New York 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. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=4,002 (1,282 in September)
  2. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=818 (355 in September)
  3. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=62 (23 in September)
  4. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=157 (44 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 233 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in September.
  5. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=96 (29 in September)
  6. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=1,253 (590 in September)
  7. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    99% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=355 (91 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 252 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in July.
  8. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records rising
    97% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=276 (60 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 15 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
  9. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    90% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=968 (166 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 29 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
  10. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records tailing off
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=60 (17 in September)
  11. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=430 (48 in September)
  12. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    79% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=2,095 (364 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 303 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in New York peak in October.
  13. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    76% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=59 (13 in September)
  14. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    70% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=713 (184 in September)
  15. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    63% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=1,583 (566 in September)
  16. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=2,281 (198 in September)
  17. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    38% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=819 (128 in September)
  18. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Records tailing off
    32% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=61 (7 in September)
  19. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, New York · n=500 (18 in September)

In New York, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: Chicken of the woods, Giant puffball, Hedgehog mushrooms, Hickories and pecan, King bolete. Records of Black cherry, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Chokecherry 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 New York in September?

In public records for New York, people most often report these in September: Chicken of the woods, Giant puffball, Hedgehog mushrooms, Hickories and pecan, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Black walnut. 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 SeptemberMassachusetts in SeptemberConnecticut in SeptemberNew Jersey in SeptemberPennsylvania in September

New York: 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, 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 19 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September 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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