Plant Highlights

Prunus virginiana is a species of bird cherry native to North America and beyond. Also known as Chockcherry, it is a suckering shrub or small thicket forming tree growing 15-20 feet tall. Aromatic white flowers are produced in late spring, followed by drupes, dark red to black in color, possessing a very astringent taste, being
both somewhat sour and somewhat bitter. The leaves of the chokecherry serve as food for caterpillars of various butterflies. It was first cultivated in North America as an orchard crop in 1724. Chokecherry is primarily used today as a food product that makes fine preserves, juice, jelly, and syrup. It is a very important commercial fruit treeConservation uses include plantings in shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife plantings, and mass plantings for erosion control.

Note: the seed of the Chokeberry is toxic.