Now
23°C · Clear
Today
25° / 11°
Rain, 7 days
2 mm
Season
Fall · frost in ~45 d
Foraging around Concord
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyFall Foraging in Concord: September Harvest
In season now
Wild grapes (Vitis spp.)
Where: Roadsides, forest edges, stream banks throughout Merrimack County
Dark purple or black clusters ripen now; eat fresh or dry for winter use. Leaves are palmately lobed with coarse teeth; tendrils spiral.
Look-alikes: Pokeweed berries are similar but grow in drooping clusters and stain hands purple—avoid entirely as they're toxic.
Caution: Check for poison ivy vines climbing the same trees; wear gloves and long sleeves.
Black walnuts (Juglans nigra)
Where: Scattered in yards, parks, and open woodlands; common in Concord area
Green husks split now, revealing hard black shells; crack open to extract nutmeat. Wear gloves—the husk stains permanently.
Look-alikes: Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is smaller and more elongated; both are edible but black walnut is more common here.
Caution: Husking is messy; do it outdoors and away from pavement to avoid staining.
Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Where: Disturbed areas, roadsides, and field margins; invasive but abundant
Small red berries with silver speckles ripen now; tart and astringent, best dried or made into jelly. Narrow silvery leaves.
Look-alikes: Goji berries (not native here) are similar but rare; autumn olive is far more common in NH.
Caution: Invasive species—harvest freely to help control it.
Wild mushrooms: Hen of the Woods (Maitake, Grifola frondosa)
Where: Base of oak trees in mixed hardwood forests; September through October
Large, gray-brown, shelf-like clusters with wavy caps; meaty texture, excellent sautéed. Grows from wood, not soil.
Look-alikes: Polypores and shelf fungi are abundant; confirm gills are present and clustered before harvesting.
Caution: Mushroom ID errors can be fatal—use a regional field guide or forage with an expert.
Acorns (Quercus spp.)
Where: Oak trees throughout Concord; white oak, red oak, and pin oak common
Collect fallen acorns now; white oak acorns are sweeter and need less leaching. Crack and leach in water for several days to remove tannins before eating.
Look-alikes: All acorns are edible once leached; white oak acorns are less bitter than red oak.
Caution: Leaching is essential—raw acorns are astringent and inedible.
Pawpaw fruit (Asimina triloba)
Where: Understory of rich bottomland forests; rare but present in southern NH valleys
Yellow-green, custard-like fruit ripens late September; eat fresh or freeze. Tropical flavor, soft flesh, large seeds.
Look-alikes: No dangerous look-alikes; fruit is distinctive.
Caution: Pawpaw is uncommon here—check with local naturalists for known patches before searching.
Coming soon
Persimmons (Diospyros virginiana)
Orange fruit ripens after first frost in October; sweet and astringent until fully ripe. Seek native trees in southern NH.
Wild apples and crabapples
Late September through October; small, tart, excellent for jelly and cider. Found in old orchards and field edges.
Hickory nuts (Carya spp.)
Shagbark and pignut hickory nuts fall in October; crack hard shells to extract sweet nutmeat.
Safety in this area
- Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are active in fall and carry Lyme disease—wear long sleeves and pants, tuck pants into socks, check skin thoroughly after foraging.
- Poison ivy (three leaflets, red fall color now) is abundant in woodlands and field edges—learn to identify it; wash skin and clothes immediately after exposure.
- Giant hogweed is not established in Concord but watch for it in disturbed areas—causes severe phytophotodermatitis; do not touch.
- Most land in NH is private; ask permission before foraging on anyone's property. State forests and public lands are generally open for foraging; check NH Fish and Game website for rules.
Foraging information is educational. Confirm every identification with a regional field guide or expert before eating anything wild.
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