Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

Texas · May

What foragers look for in Texas in May

15 of the 18 species on the Texas 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. Black cherryPrunus serotina
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=68 (25 in May)
  2. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=49 (15 in May)
  3. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=1,223 (667 in May)
  4. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=798 (188 in May)
  5. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records rising
    91% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=334 (92 in May)
  6. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records rising
    53% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=2,555 (194 in May)
  7. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records rising
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=135 (16 in May)
  8. MulberriesMorus spp.
    Records tailing off
    42% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=380 (102 in May)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 8 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Texas peak in May.
  9. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    33% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=60 (3 in May)
  10. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records rising
    30% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=212 (16 in May)
  11. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records rising
    26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=206 (14 in May)
  12. Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
    Records rising
    22% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=260 (10 in May)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 8 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Texas peak in September.
  13. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=800 (32 in May)
  14. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Records rising
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=886 (31 in May)
  15. Prickly pearOpuntia spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Texas · n=242 (6 in May)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 14 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Texas peak in August.

In Texas, May is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black cherry, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Wild grapes. Records of Morels drop below the listing line after April. "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 Texas in May?

In public records for Texas, people most often report these in May: Black cherry, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Blackberries, raspberries and relatives, Wild grapes, Chanterelles, Sumacs, Black walnut, Mulberries. 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

Oklahoma in MayArkansas in MayLouisiana in May

Texas: 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, 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 15 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in May 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.

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

App StoreGoogle PlayBuild your own calendar