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| ## CHOKECHERRY {#chokecherry .Title-Header}                           |
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| **Prunus virginiana L.**                                              |
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| Plant Symbol = PRVI                                                   |
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*Contributed by: USDA NRCS Manhattan, Kansas Plant Materials Center and
Kansas State University Forestry Division*

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="2.2375in"}

Joseph Scianna USDA-NRCS Bridger Plant Materials Center

##### Alternate Names  {#alternate-names .Header-3}

##### common chokecherry, choke cherry, black chokecherry, red chokecherry, California chokecherry, Virginia chokecherry, eastern chokecherry, western chokecherry, rum chokecherry, whiskey chokecherry, wild cherry, wild blackcherry, bird cherry, jamcherry, chokeberry, cabinet cherry, chuckleyplum, sloe tree, bitter-berry, caupulin {#common-chokecherry-choke-cherry-black-chokecherry-red-chokecherry-california-chokecherry-virginia-chokecherry-eastern-chokecherry-western-chokecherry-rum-chokecherry-whiskey-chokecherry-wild-cherry-wild-blackcherry-bird-cherry-jamcherry-chokeberry-cabinet-cherry-chuckleyplum-sloe-tree-bitter-berry-caupulin .Header-3}

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

Chokecherry is primarily used today as a food product that makes fine
preserves, juice, jelly, and syrup. It is a very important commercial
fruit tree. Anthropologists indicate cherries have been harvested in
Eurasia from 4,000 to 5,000 B.C. In 1629, chokecherry was imported to
England where it has been cultivated as an ornamental. It was first
cultivated in North America as an orchard crop in 1724. Conservation
uses include plantings in shelterbelts, windbreaks, wildlife plantings,
and mass plantings for erosion control.

CAUTION: PARTS OF THIS PLANT CAN BE POISONOUS

The seeds are toxic due to production of hydrocyanic acid in the leaves,
stems and seeds. The almond-like nuts are treated to deactivate the
poisonous glycosides before they are put on the market. Cases of illness
and deaths have been traced back to eating the seeds of these trees.

In some parts of the U.S., chokecherry is a popular ornamental.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description and Adaptation {#description-and-adaptation .Header-3}

*General*: Rose Family (Rosaceae). Chokecherry is a native, perennial,
deciduous, woody, thicket-forming large erect shrub or small tree. It
rarely reaches a height of over 30 feet. The crown is irregular and from
10 to 20 feet wide when mature. The stems are numerous and slender.
Reproduction can either be by seed or root rhizomes.

Leaves are dark green and glossy above and paler beneath. They are
alternate, simple, glabrous, oval to broadly elliptic in shape, 1 to 4
inches long, and 3/4 to 2 inches wide. The margins are toothed with
closely-spaced sharp teeth pointing outward forming a serrated edge.
They turn yellow in autumn.

The bark of young trees may vary from gray to a reddish brown. As it
ages the bark turns darker, into brownish-black and becomes noticeably
furrowed. The bark is distinctly marked by horizontal rows of raised air
pores (lenticels). With maturation the lenticels develop into shallow
grooves.

It has perfect flowers which are aromatic and arranged in cylindrical
racemes 3 to 6 inches long. The racemes always grow on the current
year\'s leafy twig growth. Individual flowers are perfect, 1/4 to 3/8
inch in diameter with 5 white petals. The flowers start appearing before
the leaves are fully developed. Flowers may appear from April to July
and fruits form a couple of months later.

The fruits are spherical drupes (fleshy fruit with a stone in the
center), globose, 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter. Small ripe cherries range
in color from dark red or purple to almost black. There are from 3,000
to 5,000 seeds per pound.

The roots are a network of rhizomes. Deep root systems grow at irregular
intervals along the length of the rhizomes. Rhizomes can extend beyond
the drip zone, up to 35 feet away from the base of the tree. Rhizomes
grow up to 3/4 inch in diameter.

There are three recognized varieties of *Prunus virginiana*. The variety
*demissa* is commonly called western chokecherry. It produces dark red
fruit. The variety *melanocarpa* produces black fruit. The variety
*virginiana* produces crimson to deep red fruit. This variety can be
found in two forms, one with red and one with white fruit.

Chokecherry occurs naturally in a wide range of soil types and textures.

Many wildlife animals eat the fruit and distribute it. Birds, rabbits,
hares, rodents and bears all seek out and eat its fruit.

*Distribution*: Please consult the Plant Profile page for this species
on the PLANTS Web site.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Nursery grown seedlings establish satisfactorily if planted free of
competition in areas having 15 or more inches of annual precipitation.
Use of weed barrier mat, a strict cultivation regime, or proper
herbicide treatment is necessary if a successful planting is to occur.
Check with your local NRCS Field Office to determine if chokecherry is
adapted to your area or soils before planting any trees.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

On range and pastures it is often considered a potential hazard to
livestock. As a consequence either mechanical and/or herbicide
treatments combined with good grassland management is needed to prevent
animal loss. Control of weedy vegetation, and treatment for potential
diseases, is necessary if it is expected to grow for an extended period
of years

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

Chokecherry is susceptible to X-disease, black knot, stem decay,
shothole, Valsa canker, and honey fungus *Plowrightia stansburiana*.
Common insect pests are the prairie tent caterpillar, eastern tent
caterpillar and aphids. In the northeastern United States, chokecherry
is a primary host of the eastern tent caterpillar. Browsing by deer on
young immature trees causes considerable damage in some areas.

##### Environmental Concerns {#environmental-concerns .Header-3}

The leaves, bark, stem, and stone (seed pit) of chokecherry are all
toxic. It is potentially poisonous to all classes of livestock, but
cattle and sheep are the ones commonly affected. The meaty flesh of the
fruit is not toxic. Poisoning generally occurs when animals consume 0.25
percent or more of their body weight in toxic plant material in an hour
or less.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="4.009722222222222in"}

Tim Dring, USDA NRCS Washington State Office

Eating a single seed or cherry pit, though not recommended it is
unlikely to cause discomfort or serious illness. However, there have
been reported deaths, usually of children chewing on the stems and
leaves, or swallowing the stones.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

Planting materials can be obtained from most commercial hardwood
nurseries and seed sources. Several cultivars have been released by
government agencies and private nurseries for use in landscaping and/or
fruit production. The two most commonly marketed cultivars are
\'Schubert\', and \'Canada Red\'.

\'Schubert\' is one of the oldest cultivars. Its parent rootstock is
*Prunus virginiana melanocarpa* selected from a native stand near Valley
City, North Dakota.

Releases from Canada include, \'Garrington\', \'Goertz\' and \'Robert\'.

##### Weediness  {#weediness .Header-3}

This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and
may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please
consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service
office, state natural resource, or state agriculture department
regarding its status and use. Weed information is also available from
the PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov. Please consult the Related Web
Sites on the Plant Profile for this species for further information.

##### Control: {#control .Header-3}

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county
weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it
safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control
method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to
provide specific information. USDA NRCS does not guarantee or warranty
the products and control methods named, and other products may be
equally effective.

#####  {#section .Header-3}

##### Prepared By:  {#prepared-by .Header-3}

*Wayne A. Geyer*, Forestry Division, Kansas State Research and
Extension, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

*Patrick J. Broyles*, Formerly USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials
Center, Manhattan, KS

*John M. Row*, USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials Center, Manhattan, KS

##### Species Coordinator:  {#species-coordinator .Header-3}

##### *Patrick J. Broyles*, Formerly USDA NRCS Manhattan Plant Materials Center, Manhattan, KS {#patrick-j.-broyles-formerly-usda-nrcs-manhattan-plant-materials-center-manhattan-ks .Header-3}

##### Edited: 080724 jsp {#edited-080724-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).*

*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*

*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Conservation
Service](http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/civilrights/).*