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West Virginia · October

What foragers look for in West Virginia in October

13 of the 17 species on the West Virginia 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. American persimmonDiospyros virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=49 (22 in October)
  2. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=50 (28 in October)
  3. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=118 (54 in October)
  4. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records tailing off
    95% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=253 (75 in October)
  5. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records tailing off
    91% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=43 (10 in October)
  6. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Records tailing off
    51% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=779 (96 in October)
  7. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records tailing off
    50% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=70 (9 in October)
  8. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records tailing off
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=98 (11 in October)
  9. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    46% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=141 (18 in October)
  10. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    36% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=157 (16 in October)
  11. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    22% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=314 (16 in October)
  12. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=150 (7 in October)
  13. PawpawAsimina triloba
    Records tailing off
    11% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, West Virginia · n=201 (7 in October)

In West Virginia, October is the busiest month of the year for records of: American persimmon, Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake). Records of Chanterelles, Elderberries 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 West Virginia in October?

In public records for West Virginia, people most often report these in October: American persimmon, Giant puffball, Hen of the woods (maitake), Lion's mane and other Hericium, Black walnut, Chicken of the woods, Wild roses (hips), Chaga. 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 OctoberPennsylvania in OctoberMaryland in OctoberVirginia in OctoberKentucky in October

West Virginia: 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, 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 13 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in October 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.

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