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.
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
| Wild food | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black walnuts | |||||||||||||
| Hickory nuts | |||||||||||||
| Wild pecans | |||||||||||||
| Acorns |
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
Nuts · September–October
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 · September–October
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 · September–November
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.