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Ohio · September

What foragers look for in Ohio in September

16 of the 19 species on the Ohio 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. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=185 (63 in September)
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=3,819 (1,339 in September)
  3. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=852 (305 in September)
  4. SumacsRhus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=1,191 (278 in September)
  5. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=1,065 (289 in September)
  6. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    87% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=839 (306 in September)
  7. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records rising
    82% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=44 (9 in September)
  8. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records rising
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=59 (12 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Ohio peak in January.
  9. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Records rising
    71% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=163 (41 in September)
  10. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    54% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=648 (207 in September)
  11. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=645 (160 in September)
  12. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    40% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=94 (12 in September)
  13. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    39% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=3,553 (291 in September)
  14. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    37% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=144 (20 in September)
  15. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=592 (27 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 13 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Ohio peak in August.
  16. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Ohio · n=568 (33 in September)

In Ohio, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Pawpaw, Sumacs, Wild roses (hips). Records of 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 Ohio in September?

In public records for Ohio, people most often report these in September: Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Pawpaw, Sumacs, Wild roses (hips), Lion's mane and other Hericium, Wild grapes, Hickories and pecan. 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

Michigan in SeptemberIndiana in SeptemberKentucky in SeptemberWest Virginia in SeptemberPennsylvania in September

Ohio: 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, Ohio, 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, Ohio, 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 16 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in September in Ohio. 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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