Forager's Field Notes Get the journal

West Virginia · May

What foragers look for in West Virginia in May

7 of the 17 species on the West Virginia 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. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records rising
    43% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=314 (31 in May)
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records rising
    31% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=779 (58 in May)
  3. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records rising
    22% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=98 (5 in May)
  4. MorelsMorchella spp.
    Records tailing off
    19% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=291 (45 in May)
  5. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Records rising
    17% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=80 (5 in May)
  6. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=253 (11 in May)
  7. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records rising
    13% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=141 (5 in May)

None of the rows peaks in May in West Virginia. "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 West Virginia in May?

In public records for West Virginia, people most often report these in May: Oyster mushrooms, Chicken of the woods, Chaga, Morels, Elderberries, Lion's mane and other Hericium, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives. 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

Ohio in MayPennsylvania in MayMaryland in MayVirginia in MayKentucky in May

West Virginia: 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, West 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, West 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 7 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in May in West 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.

App StoreGoogle PlayBuild your own calendar