Virginia · August

What foragers look for in Virginia in August

17 of the 23 species on the Virginia calendar have August 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.

‹ July September ›

Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=380 (181 in August)
ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=1,017 (348 in August)
Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=923 (245 in August)
PawpawAsimina triloba
Peak month for records
100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=1,070 (274 in August)
SumacsRhus spp.
Records rising
93% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=1,044 (201 in August)
Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
Records rising
88% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=2,557 (498 in August)
Wild grapesVitis spp.
Records rising
80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=102 (32 in August)
Hickories and pecanCarya spp.
Records tailing off
70% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=89 (16 in August)
ChagaInonotus obliquus
Records tailing off
67% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=51 (6 in August)
Black walnutJuglans nigra
Records rising
66% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=205 (33 in August)
USA-NPN cross-check: 9 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Virginia peak in September.
Black cherryPrunus serotina
Records tailing off
62% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=109 (26 in August)
USA-NPN cross-check: 14 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Virginia peak in July.
American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
Records rising
51% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=869 (128 in August)
USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Virginia peak in October.
ElderberriesSambucus spp.
Records tailing off
45% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=337 (65 in August)
HazelnutsCorylus spp.
Records tailing off
44% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=50 (11 in August)
Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
Records tailing off
37% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=103 (14 in August)
USA-NPN cross-check: 40 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Virginia peak in June.
Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
Records rising
26% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=369 (21 in August)
Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
Records tailing off
23% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Virginia · n=473 (45 in August)

In Virginia, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chanterelles, Oyster mushrooms, Pawpaw. "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.

‹ July September ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Virginia in August?

In public records for Virginia, people most often report these in August: Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Chanterelles, Oyster mushrooms, Pawpaw, Sumacs, Chicken of the woods, Wild grapes, Hickories and pecan. 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

Maryland in August West Virginia in August Kentucky in August Tennessee in August North Carolina in August

Virginia: the whole year · August 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, Virginia, 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, Virginia, 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 17 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in Virginia. 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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