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Washington · October

What foragers look for in Washington in October

12 of the 17 species on the Washington calendar have October 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.
‹ SeptemberNovember ›
  1. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=2,417 (802 in October)
  2. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=1,441 (533 in October)
  3. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=653 (321 in October)
  4. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records rising
    89% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=951 (220 in October)
  5. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    80% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=1,223 (242 in October)
  6. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    63% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=108 (12 in October)
  7. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    54% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=612 (75 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 18 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Washington peak in October.
  8. Hedgehog mushroomsHydnum spp.
    Records rising
    40% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=119 (19 in October)
  9. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    25% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=1,506 (158 in October)
  10. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Records tailing off
    20% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=50 (4 in October)
  11. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=1,038 (51 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 18 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Washington peak in July.
  12. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Washington · n=1,736 (101 in October)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 68 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Washington peak in July.

In Washington, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: Chanterelles, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium. Records of Blackberries, raspberries and relatives drop below the listing line after September. "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.

‹ SeptemberNovember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Washington in October?

In public records for Washington, people most often report these in October: Chanterelles, King bolete, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Black trumpets and other Craterellus, Oyster mushrooms, Sumacs, Wild roses (hips), Hedgehog 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

Idaho in OctoberOregon in October

Washington: the whole year · October 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, Washington, 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, Washington, 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 October in Washington. 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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