Oregon · May
What foragers look for in Oregon in May
10 of the 16 species on the Oregon calendar have May records. Listed by how much of each row's year falls in this month.
- Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.Records rising92% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=567 (97 in May)
- MorelsMorchella spp.Records tailing off88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=1,123 (422 in May)
- Wild strawberriesFragaria spp.Records rising65% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=113 (26 in May)
- Serviceberries (juneberries)Amelanchier spp.Records rising59% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=124 (22 in May)USA-NPN cross-check: 65 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Oregon peak in July.
- HazelnutsCorylus spp.Records rising36% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=97 (13 in May)
- Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.Records tailing off28% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=135 (9 in May)
- Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.Records rising24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=1,376 (125 in May)USA-NPN cross-check: 43 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Oregon peak in July.
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaRecords rising23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=79 (7 in May)USA-NPN cross-check: 43 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Oregon peak in August.
- ElderberriesSambucus spp.Records rising17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=778 (36 in May)USA-NPN cross-check: 28 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Oregon peak in July.
- Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.Records rising15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Oregon · n=869 (30 in May)
Questions
What do foragers look for in Oregon in May?
In public records for Oregon, people most often report these in May: Oyster mushrooms, Morels, Wild strawberries, Serviceberries (juneberries), Hazelnuts, Hedgehog mushrooms, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Chokecherry. 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, Oregon, 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, Oregon, 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 10 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in May in Oregon. 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.