Look-alikes Kill
Never eat a wild plant or mushroom on one photo or app. U.S. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222.
Safety & Ethics →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.
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Open the Tracker →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 · June–September
Chanterelles
Cantharellus
Where: Hardwood forests (oak, beech) on the ground after summer rains.
Look-alikes & cautions: Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms are poisonous: they grow in clusters on wood and have sharp, true gills. Chanterelles grow singly from soil with blunt, forked ridges and pale, stringy flesh inside.
Use: Sauté; freeze after cooking
Mushrooms · June–October
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
Greens & shoots · March–October
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 · March–June
Stinging nettle
Urtica dioica
Where: Moist, rich soil along streams and woods edges.
Look-alikes & cautions: Wear gloves. Cooking, blanching or drying removes the sting. Pick the top 4–6 leaves before the plant flowers.
Use: Cooked greens, soup and tea
Greens & shoots · May–September
Lamb’s quarters
Chenopodium album
Where: Gardens, barnyards and disturbed ground.
Look-alikes & cautions: Young leaves have a white, mealy coating underneath. Like spinach it is high in oxalates — eat cooked and in moderation.
Use: Cook like spinach
Greens & shoots · June–September
Purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Where: Gardens, sidewalk cracks and hot, sunny ground.
Look-alikes & cautions: Spotted spurge looks similar but is toxic: it has milky white sap and thin, wiry stems. Purslane has thick, juicy stems and clear sap.
Use: Fresh in salads or pickled
Greens & shoots · April–June
Cattail shoots
Typha
Where: Marshes, ponds and ditches with clean water.
Look-alikes & cautions: Young cattail can be confused with iris, which is poisonous — iris leaves are flat and fan out from the base; cattail has a round base. Avoid polluted water.
Use: Peeled shoots, raw or cooked
Berries · May–June
Wild strawberries
Fragaria virginiana
Where: Sunny fields, meadows and woods edges.
Look-alikes & cautions: Mock strawberry has yellow flowers and bland fruit (not harmful). True wild strawberries have white flowers.
Use: Fresh, jam or frozen
Berries · May–July
Mulberries
Morus
Where: Yard trees, fencerows and woods edges.
Look-alikes & cautions: Unripe berries and leaves can upset the stomach — eat only fully ripe fruit.
Use: Fresh, pies, jam, frozen or dried
Berries · June–August
Blackberries & dewberries
Rubus allegheniensis
Where: Thickets, old fields and fencerows.
Look-alikes & cautions: Aggregate berries like these have few dangerous look-alikes. Watch for thorns, ticks and snakes.
Use: Fresh, jam, canned or frozen
Berries · June–July
Black raspberries
Rubus occidentalis
Where: Woods edges and fencerows.
Look-alikes & cautions: Black raspberries come off the core hollow, like a thimble; blackberries keep their core.
Use: Fresh, jam or frozen
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.