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Wisconsin · August

What foragers look for in Wisconsin in August

20 of the 21 species on the Wisconsin 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.
‹ JulySeptember ›
  1. American plumPrunus americana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=55 (36 in August)
  2. Chicken of the woodsLaetiporus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=1,375 (409 in August)
  3. ChokecherryPrunus virginiana
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=40 (13 in August)
  4. ElderberriesSambucus spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=271 (83 in August)
  5. Wild grapesVitis spp.
    Peak month for records
    100% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=48 (13 in August)
  6. ChanterellesCantharellus spp.
    Records tailing off
    94% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=175 (63 in August)
  7. Blueberries, huckleberries and relativesVaccinium spp.
    Records tailing off
    86% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=142 (30 in August)
  8. King boleteBoletus edulis
    Records rising
    77% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=41 (10 in August)
  9. Black trumpets and other CraterellusCraterellus spp.
    Records rising
    74% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=240 (77 in August)
  10. SumacsRhus spp.
    Records tailing off
    71% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=484 (98 in August)
  11. Oyster mushroomsPleurotus spp.
    Records tailing off
    56% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=2,799 (425 in August)
  12. ChagaInonotus obliquus
    Records rising
    52% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=145 (23 in August)
  13. HazelnutsCorylus spp.
    Records tailing off
    51% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=122 (28 in August)
  14. Black walnutJuglans nigra
    Records rising
    48% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=50 (10 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 11 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Wisconsin peak in September.
  15. Lion's mane and other HericiumHericium spp.
    Records rising
    24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=414 (57 in August)
  16. Giant puffballCalvatia gigantea
    Records rising
    24% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=663 (75 in August)
  17. Blackberries, raspberries and relativesRubus spp.
    Records tailing off
    18% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=388 (42 in August)
    USA-NPN cross-check: 8 "Ripe fruits" plant-year records in Wisconsin peak in July.
  18. Wild roses (hips)Rosa spp.
    Records rising
    15% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=109 (6 in August)
  19. Hen of the woods (maitake)Grifola frondosa
    Records rising
    14% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=434 (36 in August)
  20. MulberriesMorus spp.
    Records tailing off
    12% of this row's peak · iNaturalist research-grade observations, Wisconsin · n=40 (3 in August)

In Wisconsin, August is the busiest month of the year for records of: American plum, Chicken of the woods, Chokecherry, Elderberries, Wild grapes. "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.

‹ JulySeptember ›

Questions

What do foragers look for in Wisconsin in August?

In public records for Wisconsin, people most often report these in August: American plum, Chicken of the woods, Chokecherry, Elderberries, Wild grapes, Chanterelles, Blueberries, huckleberries and relatives, King bolete. 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

Michigan in AugustMinnesota in AugustIowa in AugustIllinois in August

Wisconsin: 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, Wisconsin, 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, Wisconsin, 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 20 rows above are the species with at least 10% of their peak-month count, and at least 3 records, in August in Wisconsin. 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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