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North Carolina · August

What foragers look for in North Carolina in August

18 of the 22 species on the North Carolina calendar have August 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.
‹ JulySeptember ›
  1. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=559 (317 in August)
  2. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,508 (551 in August)
  3. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=48 (13 in August)
  4. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,105 (290 in August)
  5. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=413 (102 in August)
  6. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=325 (124 in August)
  7. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    89% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=41 (8 in August)
  8. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,771 (373 in August)
  9. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=736 (152 in August)
  10. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records rising
    75% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=45 (9 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 87 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.
  11. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    72% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=220 (41 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in August.
  12. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    59% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=186 (40 in August)
  13. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Records rising
    56% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=985 (170 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  14. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    38% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=96 (10 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  15. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=232 (14 in August)
  16. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records tailing off
    17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=303 (26 in August)
  17. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,038 (50 in August)
  18. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=161 (10 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 45 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.

In North Carolina, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chanterelles, Hedgehog mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, Wild grapes. Records of Wild strawberries drop below the listing line after July. "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.

‹ JulySeptember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in North Carolina in August?

In public records for North Carolina, people most often report these in August: Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chanterelles, Hedgehog mushrooms, Oyster mushrooms, Pawpaw, Wild grapes, Prickly pear, Chicken of the woods. 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 AugustTennessee in AugustGeorgia in AugustSouth Carolina in August

North Carolina: the whole year · August 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 18 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August 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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