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| ## western chokecherry {#western-chokecherry .Title-Header}           |
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| *Prunus virginiana* L. var. *demissa* (Nutt.) Torr.                   |
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| Plant Symbol = PRVID                                                  |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

![Color image of Western Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana
demissa)](media/image2.jpeg){width="2.0208661417322835in"
height="3.1145669291338582in"}

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

*Prunus demissa* (Nutt.) Walp, *Prunus virginiana* L. ssp. *demissa*
(Nutt.) Taylor & MacBryde

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

*Ornamental*: This plant is well adapted for use around homes, office
buildings, and recreational areas. The form and dark green shiny foliage
during spring and summer; the large number of showy flowers in the
spring and the dark purple, grape-like clusters of fruit in the fall
makes this a desirable species for beautification.

*Crops*: While not currently planted for this purpose, the fruit has a
sweetish, astringent taste and is fit for human consumption. The fruit
makes excellent jellies and jams and is occasionally used for wine.

*Erosion control*: It is a good erosion control plant because it can
form thickets and spread by rhizomes.

*Livestock*: It is poor to fair forage for cattle, sheep, and goats and
useless for horses; however, the foliage is consumed when the range is
over utilized or in livestock concentration areas such as near water,
along driveways, and near bedding grounds. One fourth of a pound of
foliage is fatal to sheep and 1½ pounds will kill a 500 pound cow. This
must be eaten at a single feeding and is usually lethal if very little
other forage is consumed. The poisoning agent is hydrocyanic (prussic)
acid. Cattle will usually not eat much chokecherry when a good supply of
other forage species are available.

*Recreation*: This plant makes good screening in campgrounds and picnic
areas.

*Wildlife*: Western chokecherry is excellent to good forage for deer and
elk. The fruit is relished by bear, many species of songbirds,
pheasants, and grouse.

##### 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 {#description .Header-3}

*Prunus virginiana* var*. demissa* (Nutt.) Torr., western chokecherry,
is also called bitter cherry and black chokecherry. It is a shrub or
small tree from 3 to 20 feet tall and occasionally as tall as 30 feet in
favorable sites. The bark is smooth to scaly and dull red to gray.
Leaves are ovate to broadly elliptical, rounded at the base or slightly
heart shaped, 1½ to 3½ inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, smooth or only
slightly hairy, with finely toothed margins. Flowers are white, showy,
and clustered in 2 to 5 inch long racemes at the ends of leafy shoots.
Western chokecherry blooms from April to May. The fruit is round, ¼ to ½
inch in diameter, dark purple when ripe, and matures from September to
October.

##### Adaptation and Distribution {#adaptation-and-distribution .Header-3}

It is found mostly at elevations of 6,000 to 10,000 feet in snow drift
areas and near springs or seeps or in stream bottoms where the average
annual precipitation varies from 14 to 40 inches and the winters are
cold. Soil texture varies from clays to sandy loams but this species
prefers deep, fertile loam soils. It is frequently found on shallow
soils or deep to moderately deep soils with more than 35 percent coarse
fragments throughout the soil profile. It can be found as a small shrub
on rocky talus slopes, shallow shale, and on very shallow rocky sites.

Western choke cherry is distributed throughout the western and
southwestern United States. For a current distribution map, please
consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

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

Sow seeds during the fall (or the spring with stratified seed) in drill
rows 8 to 12 inches apart. Cover or drill ½ inch deep. Sow 25 seeds per
foot of drill row. Field plant with 1 year old bareroot stock on deep,
well-drained soils in sunny locations. Moist exposed mineral soil makes
the best seedbed. Dormancy may be overcome by stratification of seed in
moist sand or peat at low temperature for 90 to 160 days.

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

This species is better if not pruned or thinned. Irrigation will be
needed on areas that receive less than 14 inches of precipitation
annually. This species will withstand grazing and remains vigorous when
50 percent of the total annual growth is grazed. Care must be taken to
prevent cattle from feeding on this plant once it has undergone stress
due to drought or frost because of the toxic accumulation of hydrocyanic
acid in the plant.

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

There are no serious insect pests, however western chokecherry is
susceptible to black knot fungus, fireblight, and several other
diseases.

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

No cultivars are currently recommended. Planting materials can be
obtained from most commercial hardwood nurseries and seed sources in the
west.

##### Prepared By & Species Coordinator:  {#prepared-by-species-coordinator .Header-3}

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

##### 

##### Edited: 05Feb2002 JLK; 060809 jsp {#edited-05feb2002-jlk-060809-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/)\>

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*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
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