Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

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Photo taken by Calvin De Jong

Description

Height 1-6 m

Width 1-4 m

Leaves 2-9 cm long, 1-5 cm wide

Flowers 4-11 cm

Seeds 5 mm

Chokecherry is a perennial, large deciduous shrub or some times a small understory tree, it can be noticed growing in dense thickets in some locations. It produces a reddish cherry fruit during the fall months that can be harvested and preserved. It has been long used by many tribes as food and medicine.

Distribution and habitat

Chokecherry is native to North America, it tends to like to grow on slopes with semi disturbed moist soils. It can also be found in open woodlands with rocky terrain.

Elevation 1375-3050 m

Soil Rich, moist soils, limestone-based, sandy, sandy loam, clay loam.

pH 6.8-7.2

Zones 2

Sun Full sun, partial shade, full shade

Uses & Benefits

Chokecherry fruit is an excellent source of dietary fiber-containing up to 68 % of the daily recommended allowance, it also carries a whopping 37% of your vitamin K intake, and a great source of manganese, potassium and vitamin B6.

Parts Used:

Berries (fruit)
Bark
Roots

One can also use Chokecherry to treat:

Stomach pain
Help digestion
Colds
Diarrhea
Tuberculosis

Ways to use aspen:

Tea (Bark, Roots)
Jelly (Berries)
Syrup (Berries)
Smoke like tobacco (Bark)

The bark and berries of the chokecherry tree were also used to treat a number of medical ailments. Chokecherry tea was used to treat everything from anxiety to colds, diarrhea, and tuberculosis. Berries were eaten to relieve stomach pain and aid digestion. A common remedy for head colds involved grinding and smoking chokecherry bark like tobacco

Content Writer/Photographer

Calvin De Jong

I am a naturalist from the Okanagan. My passions are taken photos of nature and foraging all its wonders.