North Carolina · November
What foragers look for in North Carolina in November
9 of the 22 species on the North Carolina calendar have November records. Listed by how much of each row's year falls in this month.
- Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.Records tailing off68% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,038 (245 in November)
- Prickly pearOpuntia spp.Records tailing off44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=41 (4 in November)
- Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.Records tailing off40% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=232 (23 in November)
- Hickories and pecanCarya spp.Records tailing off33% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=45 (4 in November)USA-NPN cross-check: 87 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.
- Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.Records tailing off26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,105 (74 in November)
- Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.Records tailing off23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=48 (3 in November)
- American persimmonDiospyros virginianaRecords tailing off18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=985 (54 in November)USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
- Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosaRecords tailing off16% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=269 (26 in November)
- SumacsRhus spp.Records tailing off16% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=736 (28 in November)
Questions
What do foragers look for in North Carolina in November?
In public records for North Carolina, people most often report these in November: Lion's mane and other Hericium, Prickly pear, Wild roses (hips), Hickories and pecan, Oyster mushrooms, Hedgehog mushrooms, American persimmon, Hen of the woods (maitake). 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
Source and date
- 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 November 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.