Prunus virginiana aka Chokecherry

Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana, is a deciduous member of the rose family from North America. Its range runs from Newfoundland west to British Columbia and south to North Carolina, Texas and California. In the wild it grows in thickets, along woodland edges, on slopes and in ravines. It also colonises abandoned fields and cleared land.

The plant grows as a large shrub or a small tree with an oval to rounded crown. Garden specimens reach 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m) tall and 18 to 25 feet (5.5 to 7.6 m) wide. Shorter, shrubby forms also occur. Its shallow, spreading roots send up suckers, so it often forms dense colonies.

Mature bark is thin, smooth and dark brown to grey. The slender twigs give off an unpleasant smell when broken. Winter stems may be brown, grey, purple or red. The simple, alternate leaves are egg-shaped, finely toothed and end in a long narrow tip. Crushed leaves smell bitter. Autumn colour ranges from yellow to orange.

In spring, fragrant white flowers appear in long, drooping racemes 3 to 6 inches long. Each flower is under half an inch across. Red fruits follow and turn dark purple to black by late summer. Each pea-sized fruit holds one large stone. Butterflies visit the flowers, and birds eat the fruit. The tree also feeds the caterpillars of the eastern tiger swallowtail.

Chokecherry is very cold hardy, growing in USDA zones 2 to 6. It does well in average, well-drained loam in full sun or part shade. Full sun gives the best flowering. Once settled, it copes with drought, dry soil and shallow, rocky ground. Gardeners use it in shrub borders, woodland gardens and native plantings. Its suckering roots also help control erosion. Remove suckers promptly if you do not want it to spread.

The species suffers from many pests and diseases. Possible diseases include black knot, leaf spot, dieback, leaf curl, powdery mildew, root rot and fireblight. Insect pests include borers, aphids, scale, leafhoppers, tent caterpillars and Japanese beetles. Spider mites can also cause trouble. The wood is weak, and ice or snow may break branches.

The ripe fruit is edible but very astringent. Cooks mostly use it in pies and jellies, and dried fruit tastes milder. Native peoples added the seeds to pemmican and used the bark in medicine. The stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide. Wilting leaves are the most dangerous. The plant is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Avoid any seed or fruit that tastes very bitter.