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
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 · 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
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 · July–August
Wild blueberries & huckleberries
Vaccinium
Where: Acid soils — pine barrens, hills and mountain balds.
Look-alikes & cautions: Look for the 5-pointed crown on the end of each berry. Avoid berries in clusters with star-shaped flowers (nightshades).
Use: Fresh, canned, frozen or dried
Berries · August–September
Elderberries
Sambucus canadensis
Where: Wet ground, ditches and fencerows; creamy flower heads in June.
Look-alikes & cautions: Raw berries, stems, leaves and unripe fruit are toxic — cook ripe berries and remove every stem. Water hemlock (deadly) and pokeweed grow in the same places; elder is a woody shrub with opposite, compound leaves.
Use: Cooked syrup, jelly and pies
Fruit · July–September
Wild plums
Prunus americana
Where: Thickets along fencerows and field edges.
Look-alikes & cautions: Don’t eat the pits — they contain cyanide-forming compounds.
Use: Jam, canned or dried
Fruit · August–October
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 · August–October
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 · July–September
Staghorn & smooth sumac
Rhus
Where: Fields and roadsides — red, fuzzy, upright berry clusters.
Look-alikes & cautions: Poison sumac has white, drooping berries and grows in swamps — avoid it. Anyone allergic to cashews or mangoes should skip sumac.
Use: Lemony tea and spice
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.