Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana - is a large, highly adaptable native shrub that tolerates a wide range of soil and light conditions. Typically reaching 20 feet high with an irregular rounded-oval crown …
Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana - is a large, highly adaptable native shrub that tolerates a wide range of soil and light conditions. Typically reaching 20 feet high with an irregular rounded-oval crown, Chokecherry produces a profusion of cylindrical white flowers in the spring. The flowers give way to a bounty of dark red berries in the summer, which attract plenty of birds.
Remarkable for their value to wildlife, shrubs and trees in the genus Prunus rank third in the number of Lepidoptera that are supported on the foliage. This includes five species of butterflies such as the Coral Hairstreak, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Red-spotted Purple, and 10 species of giant silk moths such as Cecropia moth, Polyphemus moth, Imperial moth and Io moth. The aromatic flower clusters are very popular with early pollinators. Autumn foliage turns golden yellow to orange.
Planting and Cultivation Notes
The flowers of prunus virginiana are somewhat self-fertile, which means that a single shrub will produce some fruit, but not as abundantly. Fruit production increases when 2 - 3 of the shrubs are present.
Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.
Plant Shipping Rates: for plant orders up to $50 the shipping amount is $9.95. For plant orders from $50.01 and over, the shipping rate is 20% of the total plant cost.
Fall plant-shipping begins on September 9, 2024. The last day to order your plants for fall shipment is September 29.
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Our potted shrubs are between 1' and 2' high when shipped. The root is well developed and the plants have established branching. This shrub is in a one gallon (or #1) container, which is approximately 7" deep x 6.5" wide at the top.
Should this shrub be planted in spring or fall?
This shrub can be successfully planted in either spring or fall. See Tips for Planting in Fall for more informtation about planting perennials (including shrubs) in the fall. You may also be interested in How to Plant Shrubs, in our Resource & Guides pages.
Will Chokecherry thrive under walnut trees? How fast does it grow?
Prunus species are junglone/black walnut tolerant. The growth rate is moderate – about 12 to 24 inches per year, and the shrub can grow up to 20 feet high.
What is the growth rate of chokecherry?
Chokecherry is considered to have a moderate growth rate, with height increases of 1 – 2 feet per year.
Is this shrub deer resistant?
This shrub is not deer resistant.
If you live in an area where deer are present, we recommend protecting any newly installed shrubs by surrounding them with a wire fencing cage, or a plastic netting to protect them from being browsed by deer and/or rabbits. Food sources can be scarce in the winter, and young shrubs are choice when when there are no tender perennials available. If you live in an urban area where there are no deer, you may have rabbits in your yard. Rabbits also browse young, newly planted shrubs when other plants are not available.
These shrubs are deer resistant: New Jersey Tea,Sweet Fern,Shrubby St. John's Wort,Carolina Rose,Purple Flowering Raspberry.
If planting a group of three, in a full sun moist clay setting, how close together can they be planted? Would 7-10 feet apart still allow enough space to thrive?
At maturity, chokecherry is typically around 20' high. A 20' tall chokecherry will be around 10 feet wide. If you spaced them 10 feet apart (10' distance from trunk-center to trunk-center) the branches will be eventually be significantly overlapping. 10 feet apart might be OK, but 7 is probably going to be too close. We recommend 15' spacing. To get a visual idea you may want to perform an online image search. Using google, search for "prunus virginiana size" and then click "images", and look for examples of this shrub in a group.
Can you prune chokecherry? Also, does it sucker?
Yes, all shrubs can be pruned. Removing crossing branches so that they don't rub together, and removing branches that look to be dead is always recommended. This will promote better health and better air circulation among the branches.
Spring-flowering shrubs such as chokecherry produce flower buds on one-year-old wood (wood produced the preceding summer). Therefore, you should prune these shrubs AFTER they have flowered in spring, but before the next year’s flower buds are set. If you prune these shrubs in winter or early spring, you can easily remove many of the next seasons flower buds.
Chokecherries, and most all native shrubs, send up shoots (suckers) from their roots. The best way to deal with sucker growth is to periodically remove them with a pruning shears as low to the ground as possible.
Are the berries edible?
When fully ripe, the fruit of Chokecherry turns dark red. At that point it is edible and delicious. It can be used in jams, jellys, fruit leather and wind. The seeds, however, are toxic and contain cyanide (as do apple seeds).
Would this be good for an understory shrub with early morning sun?
Chokecherry does soemtimes grow in the understory, but is more likely to be found growing at the woodland edge. It does sometimes grow completely in the understory, where It is more lanky (has a less filled-out appearance), with less flowering/fruiting than it has in full sun. The growth rate may also be a bit slower, but Chokecherry will be fine in the situation you are describing.
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