PlantsFruits & Berries
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.
Edible preserve fruit and wildlife shrub
ModerateFruits & BerriesAlso Shrubs & VinesEdible
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Dry–medium
- Mature size
- 8–15 ft
- Spacing
- 8–12 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Flowers May; fruit Jul–Aug
- How it spreads
- Suckering thicket
- What to buy
- Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
- When to plant
- Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.
In the design
Large-space plant; fruit is astringent raw.
If you eat it
Ripe fruit usually cooked into jelly or syrup
Pits, leaves, and wilted foliage are toxic; do not crush pits
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
