Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

North Carolina · September

What foragers look for in North Carolina in September

17 of the 22 species on the North Carolina 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. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=985 (305 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 24 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  2. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=45 (12 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 87 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in September.
  3. SumacsRhus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=736 (178 in September)
  4. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records tailing off
    85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=325 (106 in September)
  5. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    75% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,771 (320 in September)
  6. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    70% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=232 (40 in September)
  7. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=96 (16 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in October.
  8. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records tailing off
    62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=48 (8 in September)
  9. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records tailing off
    56% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=41 (5 in September)
  10. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    53% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,038 (188 in September)
  11. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,105 (152 in September)
  12. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    51% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=413 (52 in September)
  13. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    49% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=220 (28 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 33 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in North Carolina peak in August.
  14. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    47% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=269 (75 in September)
  15. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    37% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=1,508 (206 in September)
  16. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=186 (17 in September)
  17. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, North Carolina · n=559 (62 in September)

In North Carolina, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Hickories and pecan, Sumacs. Records of Black cherry, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives 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 North Carolina in September?

In public records for North Carolina, people most often report these in September: American persimmon, Hickories and pecan, Sumacs, Wild grapes, Chicken of the woods, Wild roses (hips), Black walnut, Hedgehog mushrooms. 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 SeptemberTennessee in SeptemberGeorgia in SeptemberSouth Carolina in September

North Carolina: 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, 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 17 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September 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