Found near Chicago · September
What people actually find here
400 species have been recorded within about 40 km of here in September, from verified public observations. These are the ones we have written up, ordered by how often they turn up.
Acorns126 records within 40 km this month
Elderberries121 records within 40 km this month
Staghorn sumac110 records within 40 km this month
Dangerous look-alikeGiant puffball83 records within 40 km this month
Dandelion52 records within 40 km this month
Purslane45 records within 40 km this month
Also out there, that we haven't written up yet
Recorded near you this month. We have no identification guidance for these, so treat them as a list of things to go and learn — from a regional key or someone who knows them — not as a list of things to pick.
Fungi
Dryad's Saddle
Cerioporus squamosus
374 records nearby
turkey-tail
Trametes versicolor
182 records nearby
Your woods
What's growing around Chicago
The commonest trees recorded nearby, most often seen first. Most of the good mushrooms are tied to a particular tree, so this is the first thing to know about a wood.
- maple
- oak
- poplar and aspen
- walnut
- mulberry
- hackberry
- sycamore
- basswood
Know these first
What can hurt you around Chicago in September
11 species on our hazard list have been recorded near here this month, 4 of which can kill a healthy adult. Learn these before you learn anything you intend to eat.
- Can kill44 records nearby
White baneberry
Actaea pachypoda
- Mistaken for
- Nothing edible, but the berries are conspicuous and children pick them.
- How to tell
- Porcelain-white berries each with a single black dot, on thick red stalks — the common name is doll's eyes.
- What it does
- Cardiac sedative: a few berries cause severe symptoms in a child.
- Can kill5 records nearby
Small parasols (Lepiota)
Lepiota (the whole genus)
- Mistaken for
- Shaggy parasol and true parasol mushroom, which are larger relatives worth eating.
- How to tell
- The dangerous ones are small — a cap under about 8 cm — with brown scales on a pale ground and a ring. Size is the whole distinction, and it is not a comfortable one, so the safe rule is to leave every small scaly parasol alone.
- What it does
- Several small Lepiota species carry amatoxins and have killed adults. There is no benefit that justifies the risk.
- Can kill4 records nearby
Eastern destroying angel
Next
What to start watching for
Coming into season in the next month or two near Chicago, Illinois. Seasons shift a week or two with the weather, so treat these as things to keep an eye on rather than dates.
