Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

North Carolina · July

What foragers look for in North Carolina in July

18 of the 22 species on the North Carolina calendar have July 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.
‹ JuneAugust ›
  1. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=96 (26 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,771 (425 in July)
  3. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=186 (68 in July)
  4. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=413 (102 in July)
  5. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=41 (9 in July)
  6. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    97% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=736 (172 in July)
  7. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records rising
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,508 (469 in July)
  8. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records rising
    58% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=325 (72 in July)
  9. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Records rising
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=985 (159 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  10. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    51% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=220 (29 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in August.
  11. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,105 (128 in July)
  12. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records rising
    42% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=45 (5 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 87 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.
  13. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records tailing off
    41% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=303 (62 in July)
  14. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Records tailing off
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=161 (35 in July)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 45 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.
  15. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records rising
    31% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=48 (4 in July)
  16. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records rising
    30% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=559 (94 in July)
  17. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=232 (13 in July)
  18. Wild strawberriesFragaria spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=52 (5 in July)

In North Carolina, July is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Elderberries, Pawpaw, Prickly pear. Records of Mulberries drop below the listing line after June. "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.

‹ JuneAugust ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in North Carolina in July?

In public records for North Carolina, people most often report these in July: Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Elderberries, Pawpaw, Prickly pear, Sumacs, Chanterelles, Wild grapes. 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 JulyTennessee in JulyGeorgia in JulySouth Carolina in July

North Carolina: the whole year · July 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 July 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.

App StoreGoogle PlayBuild your own calendar