Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) or Virginia Birch Cherry occurs on wooded slopes, bluffs and ravines. Chokecherry is a small deciduous tree typically growing to 20-30 feet tall with an irregular, oval-rounded crown. It also may be found in shorter heights as a large shrub. Fragrant, cup-shaped, 5-lobed, white flowers in elongated clusters to 3-6 inches long bloom in mid-spring.
The flowers bloom during mid- to late spring, lasting about 1-2 weeks. Afterwards, the flowers are replaced by drupes that become mature during the summer. Mature drupes are about 6-10 mm. across, bright red or dark red, and globoid in shape. Each drupe contains a single small stone (seed with a hard coat) that is surrounded by juicy flesh. The flavor of this flesh is bitter and sour. The woody root system is shallow and spreading. Sometimes clonal plants are produced from underground runners that can extend several feet. By this means, thickets of clonal plants sometimes form.
Habitats include typical woodlands and sandy woodlands, typical savannas and sandy savannas, open disturbed woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, wooded ravines, slopes of bluffs, stabilized sand dunes near Lake Michigan, typical thickets and sandy thickets, powerline clearances in wooded areas, fence rows, and abandoned fields. Chokecherry is a pioneer species that colonizes disturbed areas where some of the woody vegetation has been damaged, killed, or removed. While Chokecherry is easily top-killed by fire, it is able to re-sprout from its root system with little difficulty.
p>Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Best flowering is in full sun. Plants will sucker to form colonies in the wild. Promptly remove suckers to prevent any unwanted spread.
This plant is remarkable for their value to wildlife. They rank 3rd in the number of Lepidoptera (butterflies & moths) that are supported on the foliage. This includes five species of butterflies such as tiger swallowtail and red-spotted purple.