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Pennsylvania · September

What foragers look for in Pennsylvania in September

18 of the 22 species on the Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania · n=130 (43 in September)
  2. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=322 (93 in September)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 29 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Pennsylvania peak in September.
  3. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=5,346 (1,591 in September)
  4. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=198 (83 in September)
  5. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=92 (25 in September)
  6. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=346 (109 in September)
  7. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=596 (180 in September)
  8. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    92% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=1,555 (694 in September)
  9. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=1,016 (271 in September)
  10. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    87% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=211 (48 in September)
  11. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    87% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=1,150 (387 in September)
  12. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    79% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=221 (26 in September)
  13. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records tailing off
    74% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=146 (29 in September)
  14. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    73% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=1,100 (193 in September)
  15. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=631 (174 in September)
  16. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    41% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=4,653 (418 in September)
  17. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    27% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=2,313 (285 in September)
  18. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Records tailing off
    18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Pennsylvania · n=57 (4 in September)

In Pennsylvania, September is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Hedgehog mushrooms, King bolete. Records of Elderberries, 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 Pennsylvania in September?

In public records for Pennsylvania, people most often report these in September: American persimmon, Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Hedgehog mushrooms, King bolete, Pawpaw, Wild roses (hips), 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

New York in SeptemberNew Jersey in SeptemberDelaware in SeptemberMaryland in SeptemberWest Virginia in SeptemberOhio in September

Pennsylvania: 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, Pennsylvania, 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, Pennsylvania, 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 September in Pennsylvania. Common names are the ones foragers use and are not an identification; the scientific name is the source's taxon.

Record what you find

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It never identifies species or judges edibility. Free to start, no account.

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