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South Carolina · May

What foragers look for in South Carolina in May

8 of the 12 species on the South Carolina calendar have May 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.
‹ AprilJune ›
  1. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=42 (19 in May)
  2. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records rising
    94% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=111 (31 in May)
  3. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records rising
    53% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=79 (10 in May)
  4. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    49% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=380 (32 in May)
  5. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records rising
    37% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=153 (18 in May)
  6. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Records rising
    30% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=43 (6 in May)
  7. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=138 (6 in May)
  8. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    10% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, South Carolina · n=238 (6 in May)

In South Carolina, May is the busiest month of the year for records of: Blackberries, raspberries and relatives. "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.

‹ AprilJune ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in South Carolina in May?

In public records for South Carolina, people most often report these in May: Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Pawpaw, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, Chicken of the woods, Chanterelles, Wild grapes, Sumacs, Oyster 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

North Carolina in MayGeorgia in May

South Carolina: the whole year · May 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, South 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, South 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 8 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in May in South 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.

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