Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana

About Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) 21 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family, in the Bird Cherry (Padus) subgenus. It is native to North America where it is found almost throughout the continent except for the deep south and the far north. The plant is widespread in California, particularly in the mountains. It is a suckering shrub or small tree growing to 5 meter tall. The leaves are oval, 3-10 centimeter long, with a coarsely serrated margin. It is deciduous, and the leaves provide some fall color. The flowers are produced in racemes of 15-30 inches late spring (well after leaf emergence). The fruits are about 1 centimeter diameter, range in color from bright red to black. Although they are said to be edible, they contain small amounts of cyanide, especially when unripe. The very ripe berries are dark in color, less astringent, and contain less cyanide. Despite the potential toxicity, the fruits were valued by many Native people.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

Size

15 - 25 ft tall
10 - 20 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

White

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Insects are attracted to the flowers. Many types of birds are attracted to the fruits. Bears may stop by and eat the fruits as well!
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 46 confirmed

, 122 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

California Hairstreak Satyrium californicaSatyrium californica

Weidemeyer's Admiral Limenitis weidemeyeriiLimenitis weidemeyerii

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalusHyalophora euryalus

Polyphemus moth Antheraea polyphemusAntheraea polyphemus

Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth Orthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisci

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade

Moisture

Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 21

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.2 - 8.4

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Use under trees such as Pines (Pinus sp.), Firs (Abies sp.), Oaks (Quercus sp.), Madrone (Arbutus sp.), Cottonwoods (Populus sp.), and Willows (Salix sp.), and with shrubs such as Dogwood (Cornus sp.), wild Roses (Rosa sp.), and Currant/Gooseberry (Ribes sp.).

Maintenance

Common pests include the prairie tent caterpillar and aphids. Chokecherry is also susceptible to black knot, stem decay, shothole, Valsa canker, and honey fungus.

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: 3 mos. stratification; 2 wks. warm stratification first may improve germination.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Rocky slopes

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 6.5" - 133.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.16" - 3.87", Coldest Month: 17.0" - 52.5", Hottest Month: 38.0" - 77.3", Humidity: 0.04" - 28.80", Elevation: 19" - 11853"

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

ChokecherryPrunus virginiana

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana