← Bedfellow

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana

Also known as: Common Chokecherry

Dense, drooping white flower racemes followed by dark purple cherries beloved by birds. Foliage and pits cyanogenic — toxic to livestock. Suckers to form thickets.

Family

Rosaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

20–30 ft

Spacing

15–20 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

April, May, June, July

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~456 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control

Native states

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY