Appearing from August through October in Northern and Eastern America, temperate regions of Asia, and Central Europe, these clusters are often found on dead hardwoods, especially stumps, logs, and soils in wood debris. Chestnut Mushrooms like to fruit in dense families often clustered, making them easy to pick. Chestnut Mushrooms are gourmet mushrooms that are often used for culinary purposes because of their aroma and taste, usually in stir fries.