Start Free Today
Enroll in the Ministerial Bible Study Series — 66 books, 251 lessons, completely free forever.
Enroll Free →Seasonal Foraging Guide
Wild greens, berries, fruit, nuts and mushrooms month by month — where they grow, how to use them, and the look-alikes to watch for.
Meet Our Contributing Authors
Read devotionals and Bible studies shared by members of our community.
Read Their Articles →Best foraging near you right now
What’s in season this month and actually being found within about 50 miles of you.
Your location is rounded to about 7 miles and never saved on our site.
Sightings from iNaturalist research-grade observations. Photos © their photographers via iNaturalist, used under Creative Commons licenses.
Season calendar
Typical seasons for the eastern and central United States. Farther south things come in earlier; farther north and higher up, later.
What to look for
Mushrooms · Hunyo–Oktubre
Chicken of the woods
Laetiporus
Where: Bright orange-yellow shelves on living or dead oaks and other hardwoods.
Look-alikes & cautions: Cook thoroughly. Some people react, especially to ones growing on conifers, eucalyptus or locust — try a small amount first. Pick the tender outer edges.
Use: Cook like chicken; freeze after cooking
Mushrooms · Setyembre–Oktubre
Hen of the woods (maitake)
Grifola frondosa
Where: Clusters at the base of oak trees in early fall, often the same tree every year.
Look-alikes & cautions: Check the underside has tiny pores, not gills. The black-staining polypore looks similar and is edible but tough.
Use: Roast, sauté, dry or freeze
Greens & shoots · Marso–Oktubre
Dandelion
Taraxacum
Where: Lawns, fields and roadsides — pick where nothing has been sprayed.
Look-alikes & cautions: True dandelion has one flower on a hollow, leafless stem and toothed, hairless leaves. Look-alikes such as cat’s-ear and chicory are also edible.
Use: Young greens, flowers and roots
Greens & shoots · Marso–Mayo, Setyembre–Nobyembre
Chickweed
Stellaria media
Where: Lawns and garden beds in cool weather.
Look-alikes & cautions: Scarlet pimpernel (toxic) looks similar but has orange-red flowers and square stems. Chickweed has white star flowers and a single line of hairs along the stem.
Use: Fresh in salads
Fruit · Agosto–Oktubre
Wild grapes & muscadines
Vitis
Where: Climbing over trees and fences along woods edges.
Look-alikes & cautions: Canada moonseed is poisonous: it has one crescent-shaped seed per fruit and no forked tendrils. Wild grapes have pear-shaped seeds and forked tendrils.
Use: Juice, jelly and wine
Fruit · Agosto–Oktubre
Pawpaws
Asimina triloba
Where: River bottoms and shady understory in the East and Midwest.
Look-alikes & cautions: Eat only the ripe pulp — skin and seeds are not eaten. A few people get an upset stomach.
Use: Fresh or frozen pulp
Fruit · Setyembre–Nobyembre
Wild persimmons
Diospyros virginiana
Where: Old fields and woods edges in the South and Midwest.
Look-alikes & cautions: Eat only when soft and fully ripe — unripe fruit is painfully astringent.
Use: Pulp for breads and puddings
Nuts · Setyembre–Oktubre
Black walnuts
Juglans nigra
Where: Fields, fencerows and river bottoms.
Look-alikes & cautions: Wear gloves — the husks stain. Hull, wash and cure nuts 2–3 weeks in a dry, airy spot before cracking.
Use: Baking and candy
Nuts · Setyembre–Oktubre
Hickory nuts
Carya ovata
Where: Upland hardwood forests (shagbark and shellbark are best).
Look-alikes & cautions: Bitternut hickory is too bitter to eat. Cure before cracking.
Use: Baking
Nuts · Oktubre–Nobyembre
Wild pecans
Carya illinoinensis
Where: River bottoms in the South and lower Midwest.
Look-alikes & cautions: Gather soon after they fall, before squirrels do.
Use: Baking and snacking
Nuts · Setyembre–Nobyembre
Acorns
Quercus alba
Where: Under oaks — white oak acorns are the least bitter.
Look-alikes & cautions: All acorns must be leached of tannins (soaked through many changes of water) before eating. Discard ones with holes.
Use: Leached flour and meal
Learn With Others
The best way to learn wild foods is alongside someone who knows them. Ask for identification help in the Foraging group — post clear photos of every part of the plant or mushroom — and never eat anything on an online ID alone.