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Northern Lakes and Forests Foraging Calendar Boreal and northern hardwood forest of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Premier foraging territory: morels, chanterelles, chicken of the woods, wild blueberries, cranberries, and fiddlehead ferns.
125 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
92 species at peak or shoulder in August
peak Berries American Black Currant Ribes americanum easy ▼
peak Berries American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis expert ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia moderate ▼
peak Nuts Beaked Hazelnut Corylus cornuta 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 Mushrooms Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus easy ⚠ process ▼
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 Berries Common Blackberry Rubus allegheniensis easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Burdock Arctium minus easy ▼
peak Berries Common Groundcherry Physalis heterophylla expert ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Common Purslane Portulaca oleracea moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Curly Dock Rumex crispus easy invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens False Solomon's Seal Maianthemum racemosum expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium easy ▼
peak Berries Hawthorn Crataegus spp. easy ▼
peak Nuts Hickory Carya spp. easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Horn of Plenty Craterellus fallax easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica easy ⚠ process invasive ▼
peak Wild Greens Lamb's Quarters Chenopodium album easy ▼
peak Berries Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Lobster Mushroom Hypomyces lactifluorum moderate ▼
peak Berries Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Marsh Yellow Cress Rorippa palustris easy ▼
peak Berries Mountain Huckleberry Vaccinium membranaceum expert ▼
peak Wild Greens Nodding Onion Allium cernuum expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus expert ▼
peak Mushrooms Pig's Ear Gomphus clavatus moderate ▼
peak Berries Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica moderate ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Prickly Lettuce Lactuca serriola easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Prostrate Knotweed Polygonum aviculare 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 Berries Saskatoon / Western Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia moderate ▼
peak Wild Greens Sea Rocket Cakile edentula easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Slippery Jack Suillus spp. easy ▼
peak Berries Small Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos expert ▼
peak Fruits Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra easy ▼
peak Berries Squashberry / Mooseberry Viburnum edule easy ▼
peak Fruits Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina easy ▼
peak Mushrooms Summer Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius expert ▼
peak Berries Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Thistle Cirsium spp. easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Mint Mentha spp. easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Wild Onion Allium spp. expert ▼
peak Fruits Wild Plum Prunus americana moderate ▼
peak Nuts Wild Rice Zizania palustris easy ⚠ process protected ▼
peak Nuts Wild Sunflower Helianthus annuus easy ▼
peak Wild Greens Wood Nettle Laportea canadensis easy ⚠ process ▼
peak Wild Greens Wood Sorrel Oxalis spp. easy ▼
shoulder Nuts American Beech Fagus grandifolia easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens American Brooklime Veronica americana easy ▼
shoulder Nuts American Chestnut Castanea dentata moderate ▼
shoulder Berries American Cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon expert ▼
shoulder Nuts American Hazelnut Corylus americana easy ▼
shoulder Berries American Mountain Ash Sorbus americana moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Black Mustard Mutarda nigra easy invasive ▼
shoulder Nuts Black Walnut Juglans nigra easy ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Berries Bog Bilberry Vaccinium uliginosum expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Broadleaf Dock Rumex obtusifolius easy ▼
shoulder Berries Chokecherry Prunus virginiana moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Cinnamon Fern Fiddlehead Osmundastrum cinnamomeum moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Common Mallow Malva neglecta easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum expert ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Coral Tooth Mushroom Hericium coralloides easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Cow Parsnip Heracleum maximum expert ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Berries Crowberry Empetrum nigrum expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Day Lily Hemerocallis fulva moderate ⚠ process ▼
shoulder Fruits Feral Apple Malus domestica easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea expert ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Greenbrier Smilax spp. easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria expert invasive ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Indigo Milk Cap Lactarius indigo easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms King Bolete Boletus edulis moderate ▼
shoulder Berries Nannyberry Viburnum lentago moderate ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Narrowleaf Plantain Plantago lanceolata easy ▼
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 Prickly Pear Opuntia spp. easy ⚠ process ▼
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 Fruits Wild Crab Apple Malus spp. easy ▼
shoulder Berries Wild Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus easy ▼
shoulder Wild Greens Wild Rose Rosa spp. easy ▼
shoulder Mushrooms Yellowfoot Chanterelle Craterellus tubaeformis easy ▼
Monthly alerts
Get a heads-up for Northern Lakes and Forests 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.