Leaves alternate with glands along the margins of the leaf base or at the petiole apex. Stems numerous and slender, either branching from the base or with main branches upright and spreading. Height varies considerably, ranging from 3'-20'. Roots a shallow network of rhizomes and a deep-feeding, verticle network. Roots at intervals along the rhizomes.
Flowers perfect, borne on leafy twigs of the season.
Fruit a drupe, each containing a small stone. Throughout southern Canada and much of the US, from Newfoundland to British Columbia and south to North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and California. Although growing preferentially along streams, springs, and seeps, where plants typically form dense thickets, chokecherry is generally intolerant of poor drainage, prolonged spring flooding, or high water tables. Except for heavy clay, is adapted to a wide range of soil textures, but most sites are characterized by silty or sandy soils with good depth, fertility, and drainage. Provides forage, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and species diversity.