Prunus virginiana

{{Short description|Species of plant}} {{Hatnote|Not to be confused with ''Aronia'', called chokeberries.}} {{Speciesbox | image = Prunus virginiana flowers.jpg | image_caption = ''Prunus virginiana'' var. ''virginiana'' (eastern chokecherry) in bloom | parent = Prunus subg. Padus | taxon = Prunus virginiana | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 18 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). |author2=IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group |date=2018 |title=''Prunus virginiana'' |volume=2018 |article-number=e.T64133468A135957714 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T64133468A135957714.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref> | authority = L. | range_map = Prunus virginiana range map 1.png | range_map_caption = Natural range | synonyms = {{Collapsible list |{{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Cerasus virginica'' Michx. ex hort. *''Padus rubra'' Mill. *''Padus virginiana'' (L.) Mill. *''Padus virginiana'' (L.) M.Roem. *''Prunus virginica'' Steud. *''Cerasus demissa'' Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray, syn of var. ''demissa'' *''Padus demissa'' (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) M.Roem., syn of var. ''demissa'' *''Prunus demissa'' (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Walp., syn of var. ''demissa'' *''Padus melanocarpa'' (A.Nelson) Shafer, syn of var. ''melanocarpa '' *''Prunus melanocarpa'' (A.Nelson) Rydb., syn of var. ''melanocarpa '' *''Padus valida'' Wooton & Standl *''Prunus valida'' (Wooton & Standl.) Rydb. *''Prunus virginalis'' Wender. *''Prunus arguta'' Bigel. ex M. Roem. *''Prunus canadensis'' Marshall *''Prunus densiflora'' Steud. *''Prunus duerinckii'' Walp. *''Prunus dumosa'' Salisb. *''Prunus fimbriata'' Steud. *''Prunus micrantha'' Steud. *''Prunus montana'' Hort. ex C. Koch *''Prunus obovata'' Bigel. *''Prunus rubra'' Ait. }} }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name="ThePlantList">{{ThePlantList |access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> }}

'''''Prunus virginiana''''', commonly called '''bitter-berry''',<ref name=grin>{{GRIN|id=30151 |name=Prunus virginiana |access-date=February 28, 2013}}</ref> '''chokecherry''',<ref name=grin /> '''Virginia bird cherry''',<ref name=grin /> and '''western chokecherry'''<ref name=grin /> (also '''black chokecherry''' for ''P. virginiana'' var. ''demissa''),<ref name=grin /> is a species of bird cherry (''Prunus'' subgenus ''Padus'') native to North America.

== Description == Chokecherry is a suckering shrub or small tree growing to {{convert|1-6|m|ft|abbr=off|frac=2}} tall, rarely to {{cvt|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} and exceptionally wide, {{Convert|60|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} with a trunk as thick as {{Convert|30|cm}}.<ref name=":arno">{{Cite book |last1=Arno |first1=Stephen F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDD4DwAAQBAJ |title=Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees |last2=Hammerly |first2=Ramona P. |publisher=Mountaineers Books |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-68051-329-5 |edition=field guide |location=Seattle |pages=242–245 |language=en |oclc=1141235469 |orig-date=1977}}</ref> The leaves are oval, {{convert|2.5|-|10|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} long and {{cvt|1.2|-|5|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} wide, with a serrated margin.<ref name="FNA">{{eFloras|1|242417061|Prunus virginiana|family=Rosaceae|first=Joseph R.|last=Rohrer}}</ref> The stems rarely exceed {{Cvt|2|cm|in|frac=4}} in length.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Angier|first=Bradford|url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi/page/52/mode/2up|title=Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=1974|isbn=0-8117-0616-8|location=Harrisburg, PA|page=52|oclc=799792|author-link=Bradford Angier}}</ref>

The flowers are produced in racemes {{cvt|4|-|11|cm|in|1|abbr=on|frac=4}} long in late spring (well after leaf emergence), eventually growing up to 15 cm.<ref name=":arno" /> They are {{convert|8.5-12.7|mm|frac=8}} across.<ref>{{Illinois Wildflowers|trees/plants/chokecherry|Chokecherry (''Prunus virginiana'')|html=1|access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Minnesota Wildflowers|tree/chokecherry|Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry)|access-date=7 June 2023}}</ref>

The fruits (drupes) are about {{cvt|6|-|14|mm|in|2|abbr=on|frac=8}} in diameter, range in color from bright red to black, and possess a very astringent taste, being both somewhat sour and somewhat bitter. They get darker and marginally sweeter as they ripen.<ref name="FNA" /> They each contain a large stone.<ref name=":0" />

{{gallery|mode=packed |File:Chokecherry2web.jpg|Chokecherry – habit |File:SK-Prunus-Closeup.JPG|Leaf and drupes of plant in Saskatchewan |File:2014-10-03 15 15 35 Chokecherry showing autumn foliage coloration along the main ridge of the Diamond Mountains south of Diamond Peak, Nevada.JPG|Autumn foliage }}

=== Chemistry === Chokecherries are very high in antioxidant pigment compounds, such as anthocyanins. They share this property with ''Prunus serotina'', further contributing to confusion.<ref name="FNA" />

=== Similar species === The chokecherry is closely related to the black cherry (''Prunus serotina'') of eastern North America, which can reach {{Convert|100|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} tall and has larger leaves and darker fruit. The chokecherry leaf has a finely serrated margin and is dark green above with a paler underside, while the black cherry leaf has numerous blunt edges along its margin and is dark green and smooth.<ref name="FNA" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Elias |first1=Thomas S. |title=Edible Wild Plants A North American Field Guide |last2=Dykeman |first2=Peter A. |date=1990 |publisher=Sterling Publishing |isbn=0-8069-7488-5 |location=New York}}</ref>

== Taxonomy == The name chokecherry is also used for the related Manchurian cherry or Amur chokecherry (''Prunus maackii'').

=== Varieties === * ''Prunus virginiana'' var. ''virginiana'' (eastern chokecherry) * ''Prunus virginiana'' var. ''demissa'' (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) Torr. (western chokecherry) * ''Prunus virginiana'' var. ''melanocarpa'' (A.Nelson) Sarg.<ref>{{cite book |last=Farrar |first=J.L. |url=https://archive.org/details/treesincanada0000farr |title=Trees in Canada |date=1995 |publisher=Fitzhenry & Whiteside |isbn=978-1-55041-199-7 |location=Markham, Ontario |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="ThePlantList" />

== Distribution and habitat == The natural historic range of ''P. virginiana'' includes most of Canada (including Northwest Territories, but excluding Yukon, Nunavut, and Labrador), most of the United States (including Alaska, but excluding some states in the Southeast), and northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, Baja California, Durango, Zacatecas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León).<ref>{{BONAP|ref|genus=Prunus|species=virginiana|state=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Prunus virginiana: photos, partial distribution map |url=http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=3110 |website=SEINet, Arizona–New Mexico chapter}}</ref><ref name="FNA" />{{additional citation needed|reason=Reference for Mexican part of range.|date=July 2018}}

It can be found in habitats ranging from streambanks to montane forests.<ref name="tktimb">{{Cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLbAAwAAQBAJ |title=Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest |last2=Kuhlmann |first2=Ellen |date=2014 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-1-60469-263-1 |edition=1st |location=Portland, OR |page=253}}</ref>

== Ecology == The wild chokecherry is often considered a pest, as it is a host for the tent caterpillar, a threat to other fruit plants. It is also a larval host to the black-waved flannel moth, the blinded sphinx, the cecropia moth, the coral hairstreak, the cynthia moth, the elm sphinx, Glover's silkmoth, the hummingbird clearwing moth, the imperial moth, the Io moth, the polyphemus moth, the promethea moth, the red-spotted purple, the small-eyed sphinx, the spring azure, the striped hairstreak, the tiger swallowtail, the twin-spotted sphinx, and Weidemeyer's admiral.<ref>The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press.</ref>

Many wildlife, including birds and game animals, eat the berries.<ref name=":0" /> Moose, elk, mountain sheep, deer and rabbits eat the foliage, twigs, leaves, and buds.<ref name=":0" /> Deer and elk sometimes browse the twigs profusely, not letting the plant grow above knee height.<ref name=":arno" /> The leaves serve as food for caterpillars of various Lepidoptera.

== Cultivation == The chokecherry has a number of cultivars. 'Canada Red' and 'Schubert' have leaves that mature to purple and turn orange and red in the autumn.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prunus virginiana--Chokecherry |url=http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modzz/00001191.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011126083620/http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modzz/00001191.html |archive-date=2001-11-26 |website=Michigan State University Extension |publisher=Michigan State University |department=Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0}}</ref> 'Goertz' has a nonastringent, so palatable, fruit. Research at the University of Saskatchewan seeks to find or create new cultivars to increase production and processing.

== Toxicity == The stone of the fruit is poisonous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitney |first=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/westernforests00whit/page/423 |title=Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides) |date=1985 |publisher=Knopf |isbn=0-394-73127-1 |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/westernforests00whit/page/423 423]}}</ref> Chokecherry, including the foliage, is toxic<ref name=":0" /> to moose, cattle, goats, deer, and other animals with segmented stomachs (rumens), especially after the leaves have wilted (such as after a frost or after branches have been broken); wilting releases cyanide and makes the plant sweet. About {{Convert|4.5-9|kg|abbr=off|frac=2}} of foliage can be fatal. In horses, symptoms include heavy breathing, agitation, and weakness.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

== Uses == [[File:Chokecherries being prepared for wojapi 2023.09.08.jpg|alt=Many chokecherries in a red Dutch oven on the stove.|thumb|Chokecherries being prepared for wojapi, a traditional Lakota dish.]] For many Indigenous tribes of the Northern Rockies, Northern Plains, and boreal forest region of Canada and the United States, chokecherries are the most important fruit in their traditional diets and are part of pemmican, a staple traditional food. The bark of chokecherry root is made into an asperous-textured concoction used to ward off or treat colds, fever and stomach maladies by Indigenous people.<ref>{{cite book |page=81 |title=Trees of Michigan and the Upper Great Lakes |edition=6th |first=Norman F. |last=Smith |publisher=Thunder Bay Press |date=2002}}</ref> The inner bark of the chokecherry, as well as red osier dogwood, or alder, is also used by some tribes in ceremonial smoking mixtures, known as kinnikinnick.<ref>{{cite web |date=2009 |url=http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1355 |title=Bearberry |website=Discovering Lewis and Clark |publisher=The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation |access-date=2011-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218093355/http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1355 |archive-date=2010-12-18 }}</ref> The chokecherry fruit can be eaten when fully ripe, but otherwise contains a toxin.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Benoliel|first=Doug|title=Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest|publisher=Skipstone|year=2011|isbn=978-1-59485-366-1|edition=Rev. and updated|location=Seattle, WA|page=69|oclc=668195076}}</ref> The fruit can be used to make jam or syrup, but the bitter nature of the fruit requires sugar to sweeten the preserves.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gibbons |first=Euell |date=1962 |title=Stalking the Wild Asparagus |publisher=David McKay |place=New York}}</ref> The Plains Indians pound up the whole fruits—including the pits—in a mortar, from which they made sun-baked cakes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Peattie |first=Donald Culross |author-link=Donald C. Peattie |title=A Natural History of Western Trees |year=1953 |publisher=Bonanza Books |location=New York |pages=540–41}}</ref>

Chokecherry is also used to make wine<ref name=":0" /> in the Western United States, mainly in the Dakotas and Utah, as well as in Manitoba, Canada.

Nlaka'pamux traditional knowledge holds that when chokecherry starts blooming, bitterroot is ready to be dug up and harvested.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Turner |first=Nancy J. |last2=Reid |first2=Andrea J. |date=November 2022 |title=“When the Wild Roses Bloom”: Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Change in Northwestern North America |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GH000612 |journal=GeoHealth |language=en |volume=6 |issue=11 |doi=10.1029/2022GH000612 |issn=2471-1403 |pmc=9665002 |pmid=36398276 |access-date=2026-03-31}}</ref>

== In culture == In 2007, North Dakota governor John Hoeven signed a bill naming the chokecherry the state's official fruit, in part because its remains have been found at more archaeological sites in the Dakotas than anywhere else.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}

The book ''Hatchet'' features its main character Brian Robeson eating them and then experiencing stomach pain, calling them "gut cherries".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Paulsen |first1=Gary |title=Hatchet |date=1987 |publisher=Bradbury Press |location=United States |isbn=0-02-770130-1}}</ref>

== See also == * Choke pear

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons|Prunus virginiana}} * {{PFAF|Prunus virginiana}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060501230654/http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/trees/handbook/th-3-13.pdf North Dakota State University Agriculture, Chokecherry] * [https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-comparison.php?food1=35179&food2=35204 Nutrition Facts for Chokecherries] * [https://www.paenflowered.org/apgii/rosales/rosaceae/prunus/prunus-virginiana Flora of Pennsylvania]

Category:Bird cherries virginiana Category:Flora of Northern America Category:Edible nuts and seeds Category:Garden plants of North America Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus