Texas · August
What foragers look for in Texas in August
12 of the 18 species on the Texas calendar have August records. Listed by how much of each row's year falls in this month.
- Hickories and pecanCarya spp.Records tailing off98% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=260 (44 in August)USA-NPN cross-check: 8 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Texas peak in September.
- Prickly pearOpuntia spp.Records tailing off98% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=242 (42 in August)USA-NPN cross-check: 14 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Texas peak in August.
- ElderberriesSambucus spp.Records tailing off85% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=206 (46 in August)
- Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.Records rising78% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=60 (7 in August)
- American persimmonDiospyros virginianaRecords rising62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=886 (131 in August)
- SumacsRhus spp.Records rising56% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=2,555 (204 in August)
- Black walnutJuglans nigraRecords tailing off52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=135 (17 in August)
- Wild grapesVitis spp.Records tailing off44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=798 (82 in August)
- Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.Records rising25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=212 (13 in August)
- Black cherryPrunus serotinaRecords tailing off20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=68 (5 in August)
- Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.Records rising18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=800 (32 in August)
- Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.Records rising11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=411 (16 in August)
Questions
What do foragers look for in Texas in August?
In public records for Texas, people most often report these in August: Hickories and pecan, Prickly pear, Elderberries, Wild roses (hips), American persimmon, Sumacs, Black walnut, Wild grapes. 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, Texas, 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, Texas, 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 12 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in Texas. 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.