Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana

A shrub or small tree to 8 m (26 feet) with irregular rounded crown and often crooked trunk; bark is thick, smooth to shallowly fissured, and dark reddish-brown to grayish-brown; branches are small, erect to spreading with shiny bark; leaves alternate, simple, deciduous, broadest near base, tapering to a pointed tip with fine sharply toothed margins, dark green above and light green below; flowers produced in elongated white clusters; fruit is rounded, red to black, shinny, thick skinned, juicy enclosing an egg shaped seed. Habitat is generally along riparian areas, moist slopes and it is most common on well drained, older, more developed sandy to silty soils that afford good rooting depth and high fertility. It can tolerate weakly saline soils, but is not tolerant of poor drainage or prolonged flooding. It is a very important food plant for many wildlife species. Collect seed in mid-August to mid-September; store clean, air-dried seed in sealed containers at 1°C (34°F) for up to 5 years; cold stratification at 5°C (41°F) for 120 to 160 days is recommended; Prechilling seed for 3 months at 20 to 30°C is recommended; seed can be sown outdoors in the fall or spring to a depth of 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inch) in a moist, well drained media; heavy or poorly drained soils increase the risk of disease losses.

Greenhouse asexual propagation is by softwood cuttings taken in the spring or early summer, treat with rooting hormones and provide bottom heat under greenhouse conditions. Transplant seedlings at one to two years age.

Field propagation by dormant unrooted hardwood cuttings is rarely successful. Root cuttings have had limited success.

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Last Modified: 07/05/2007