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Central Appalachians Foraging Calendar The Ridge and Valley and West Virginia mountains, the cultural heart of Appalachian foraging. Ramps, morels, hen of the woods, black walnuts, pawpaws, and spicebush berries are seasonal staples.
146 edible species recorded here
Peak and shoulder ratings are rough guidance, not a schedule. Microclimate, elevation, and the year's weather can shift any species by weeks.
These pages are educational reference only. Never use them as your sole basis for deciding whether something is safe to eat. Always cross-reference a field guide, take a class, or go out with an experienced forager before harvesting anything.
Hi, I'm Nick. I built Forage Calendar on my own and I keep it free, with no ads. If it has helped you find something good this season, a small tip goes straight into the hosting and the data work. Only if you can spare it. Either way, I'm glad you're here.
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All Categories Mushrooms Wild Greens Berries Fruits Nuts Invasives
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
97 species at peak or shoulder in August
peak Nuts Allegheny Chinquapin Castanea pumila moderate ▼
peak Nuts American Beech Fagus grandifolia easy ▼
peak Berries American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis expert ⚠ process ▼
peak Nuts American Hazelnut Corylus americana easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia moderate ▼
peak Berries Beach Plum Prunus maritima moderate ⚠ process ▼
peak Nuts Black Walnut Juglans nigra easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Broadleaf Plantain Plantago major easy ▼
peak Nuts Butternut / White Walnut Juglans cinerea easy ⚠ process protected ▼
peak Wild Greens Cattail Typha latifolia moderate ▼
peak Mushrooms Chicken of the Woods (root-growing) Laetiporus cincinnatus easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Chicory Cichorium intybus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Burdock Arctium minus easy ▼
peak Fruits Common Fig Ficus carica easy ▼
peak Berries Common Groundcherry Physalis heterophylla expert ⚠ process ▼
peak Mushrooms Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Purslane Portulaca oleracea moderate ▼
peak Berries Cutleaf Blackberry Rubus laciniatus easy invasive ▼
peak Mushrooms Eastern Cauliflower Mushroom Sparassis spathulata easy ▼
peak Fruits Feral Apple Malus domestica easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium easy ▼
peak Berries Fox Grape Vitis labrusca expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Giant Polypore Meripilus sumstinei easy ▼
peak Nuts Hickory Carya spp. easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Horn of Plenty Craterellus fallax easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Indigo Milk Cap Lactarius indigo easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica easy ⚠ process invasive ▼
peak Mushrooms King Bolete Boletus edulis moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Kudzu Pueraria montana easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Lamb's Quarters Chenopodium album easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Lobster Mushroom Hypomyces lactifluorum moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Marsh Yellow Cress Rorippa palustris easy ▼
peak Berries Maypop / Wild Passion Fruit Passiflora incarnata easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Meadow Mushroom Agaricus campestris expert ▼
peak Berries Muscadine Vitis rotundifolia expert ▼
peak Berries Nannyberry Viburnum lentago moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Nodding Onion Allium cernuum expert ▼
peak Fruits Pawpaw Asimina triloba easy ▼
peak Nuts Pecan Carya illinoinensis easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Prickly Lettuce Lactuca serriola easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Red Chanterelle Cantharellus cinnabarinus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Redroot Amaranth Amaranthus retroflexus easy ▼
peak Berries Riverbank Grape Vitis riparia expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Russula Russula spp. moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Sea Rocket Cakile edentula easy ▼
peak Nuts Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Slippery Jack Suillus spp. easy ▼
peak Berries Small Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Smooth Chanterelle Cantharellus lateritius easy ▼
peak Fruits Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra easy ▼
peak Fruits Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Mushrooms Summer Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Thistle Cirsium spp. easy ▼
peak Fruits Wild Crab Apple Malus spp. easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Mint Mentha spp. easy ▼
peak Fruits Wild Plum Prunus americana moderate ▼
peak Nuts Wild Sunflower Helianthus annuus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Wood Nettle Laportea canadensis easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Berries American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana easy ▼
shoulder Nuts American Chestnut Castanea dentata moderate ▼
shoulder Berries American Cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon expert ▼
shoulder Berries American Mountain Ash Sorbus americana moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Fruits American Persimmon Diospyros virginiana easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Nuts Beaked Hazelnut Corylus cornuta easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Belly Button Hedgehog Hydnum umbilicatum easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Cinnamon Fern Fiddlehead Osmundastrum cinnamomeum moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Clover Trifolium spp. easy ▼
shoulder Berries Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Common Mallow Malva neglecta easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Common Sow Thistle Sonchus oleraceus easy invasive ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Coral Tooth Mushroom Hericium coralloides easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens False Solomon's Seal Maianthemum racemosum expert ▼
shoulder Fruits Feral Pear Pyrus communis easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Glasswort Salicornia spp. easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Greenbrier Smilax spp. easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria expert invasive ▼
shoulder Berries Hawthorn Crataegus spp. easy ▼
shoulder Berries Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Narrowleaf Plantain Plantago lanceolata easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Ostrich Fern Fiddlehead Matteuccia struthiopteris moderate ⚠ process protected ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Peppergrass Lepidium virginicum easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Pheasant Back Cerioporus squamosus easy ▼
shoulder Berries Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Nuts Pine Seeds Pinus spp. easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Prickly Pear Opuntia spp. easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Prostrate Knotweed Polygonum aviculare easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Spicebush Lindera benzoin easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Asparagus Asparagus officinalis easy invasive ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Onion Allium spp. expert ▼
shoulder Berries Wild Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Wood Ear Auricularia americana easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Yellowfoot Chanterelle Craterellus tubaeformis easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Yucca Yucca spp. easy ▼
Monthly alerts
Get a heads-up for Central Appalachians On the first of each month we will email you what is coming into season in this ecoregion, plus what is about to go out of season. Optionally add species to a watch list and we will highlight them at the top of every email.