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North Carolina · April

What foragers look for in North Carolina in April

9 of the 22 species on the North Carolina calendar have April 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.
‹ MarchMay ›
  1. MorelsMorchella spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=338 (235 in April)
  2. MulberriesMorus spp.
    Records rising
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=76 (18 in April)
  3. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    21% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=232 (12 in April)
  4. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records rising
    20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=413 (20 in April)
  5. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records rising
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=220 (11 in April)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in August.
  6. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,771 (71 in April)
  7. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,105 (41 in April)
  8. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records rising
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=303 (19 in April)
  9. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records rising
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=161 (10 in April)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 45 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.

In North Carolina, April is the busiest month of the year for records of: Morels. "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.

‹ MarchMay ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in North Carolina in April?

In public records for North Carolina, people most often report these in April: Morels, Mulberries, Wild roses (hips), Pawpaw, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chicken of the woods, Oyster mushrooms, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives. 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

Virginia in AprilTennessee in AprilGeorgia in AprilSouth Carolina in April

North Carolina: the whole year · April 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, North Carolina, 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, North Carolina, 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 9 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in April in North Carolina. 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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