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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.
Month View Calendar View
All Categories Mushrooms Wild Greens Berries Fruits Nuts Invasives
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
101 species at peak or shoulder in June
peak Nuts American Beech Fagus grandifolia easy ▼
peak Wild Greens American Brooklime Veronica americana easy ▼
peak Nuts Beaked Hazelnut Corylus cornuta easy ▼
peak Berries Black Raspberry Rubus occidentalis easy ▼
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 Fruits Chickasaw Plum Prunus angustifolia moderate ▼
peak Mushrooms Chicken of the Woods (root-growing) Laetiporus cincinnatus easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Chicory Cichorium intybus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Clover Trifolium spp. easy ▼
peak Fruits Common Fig Ficus carica easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Mallow Malva neglecta easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Sow Thistle Sonchus oleraceus easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Cow Parsnip Heracleum maximum expert ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Curly Dock Rumex crispus easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Day Lily Hemerocallis fulva moderate ⚠ process ▼
peak Berries Dewberry Rubus flagellaris easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Field Garlic Allium vineale expert invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria expert invasive ▼
peak Berries Hawthorn Crataegus spp. easy ▼
peak Berries Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum expert ▼
peak Berries Himalayan Blackberry Rubus armeniacus easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Kudzu Pueraria montana easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Lamb's Quarters Chenopodium album easy ▼
peak Berries Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Marsh Yellow Cress Rorippa palustris easy ▼
peak Berries Nannyberry Viburnum lentago moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Narrowleaf Plantain Plantago lanceolata easy ▼
peak Fruits Pawpaw Asimina triloba easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Peppergrass Lepidium virginicum easy ▼
peak Berries Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica moderate ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Prickly Lettuce Lactuca serriola easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Prickly Pear Opuntia spp. easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Berries Red Mulberry Morus rubra easy ▼
peak Berries Riverbank Grape Vitis riparia expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Sea Rocket Cakile edentula easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Thistle Cirsium spp. easy ▼
peak Berries White Mulberry Morus alba easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Asparagus Asparagus officinalis easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Garlic Allium canadense expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Onion Allium spp. expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Rose Rosa spp. easy ▼
peak Berries Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Wood Ear Auricularia americana easy ▼
shoulder Nuts Allegheny Chinquapin Castanea pumila moderate ▼
shoulder Nuts American Chestnut Castanea dentata moderate ▼
shoulder Berries American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis expert ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Nuts American Hazelnut Corylus americana easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia moderate ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Aspen Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus populinus expert ▼
shoulder Nuts Black Walnut Juglans nigra easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Broadleaf Dock Rumex obtusifolius easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Berries Chokecherry Prunus virginiana moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Cinnamon Fern Fiddlehead Osmundastrum cinnamomeum moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Berries Common Blackberry Rubus allegheniensis easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Common Burdock Arctium minus easy ▼
shoulder Berries Common Hackberry Celtis occidentalis easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Common Purslane Portulaca oleracea moderate ▼
shoulder Berries Cutleaf Blackberry Rubus laciniatus easy invasive ▼
shoulder Wild Greens False Solomon's Seal Maianthemum racemosum expert ▼
shoulder Fruits Feral Apple Malus domestica easy ▼
shoulder Fruits Feral Pear Pyrus communis easy ▼
shoulder Berries Fox Grape Vitis labrusca expert ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Giant Polypore Meripilus sumstinei easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Greenbrier Smilax spp. easy ▼
shoulder Nuts Hickory Carya spp. easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Horn of Plenty Craterellus fallax easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica easy ⚠ process invasive ▼
shoulder Mushrooms King Bolete Boletus edulis moderate ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Lobster Mushroom Hypomyces lactifluorum moderate ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Meadow Mushroom Agaricus campestris expert ▼
shoulder Berries Oregon Grape Berberis aquifolium easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Ostrich Fern Fiddlehead Matteuccia struthiopteris moderate ⚠ process protected ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Pheasant Back Cerioporus squamosus easy ▼
shoulder Nuts Pine Seeds Pinus spp. easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Prostrate Knotweed Polygonum aviculare easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Red Chanterelle Cantharellus cinnabarinus easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Redroot Amaranth Amaranthus retroflexus easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Russula Russula spp. moderate ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Sheep Sorrel Rumex acetosella easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Slippery Jack Suillus spp. easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Smooth Chanterelle Cantharellus lateritius easy ▼
shoulder Fruits Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Spicebush Lindera benzoin easy ▼
shoulder Fruits Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Summer Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Virginia Waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Watercress Nasturtium officinale expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Chives Allium schoenoprasum expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Mint Mentha spp. easy ▼
shoulder Fruits Wild Plum Prunus americana moderate ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Ramps Allium tricoccum expert protected ▼
shoulder Nuts Wild Sunflower Helianthus annuus easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wood Nettle Laportea canadensis easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wood Sorrel Oxalis spp. easy ▼
shoulder Berries Wood Strawberry Fragaria vesca 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.
