Choke Cherry
Prunus virginiana var. virginiana
Genus: Prunus
Subgenus: Padus
French Name: Cerisier de Virginie
Scientific Name: Prunus virginiana var. virginiana
Common Names: Choke Cherry, Eastern Choke Cherry
Native Range: Transcontinental across Canada, except for coastal British Columbia.
Habitat: Found in open sites with rich, moist soils, such as along fencerows, streams, cleared land, and woodland edges. It is relatively intolerant of shade and thrives in disturbed areas.

Size & Growth
Typical Height: Usually a tall shrub but can grow into a small tree.
Maximum Recorded Height: 9 meters.
Maximum Diameter: 15 centimeters.
Growth Form: The trunk is slender, often inclined, crooked, or twisted. Branches are slender, upright, to slightly spreading.
Life Span: Typically short-lived, but spreads aggressively through root sprouts.
Growth Rate: Fast-growing in favorable conditions.

Leaf Characteristics
Leaf Type: Deciduous, alternate, simple.
Shape: Broadly oval to widest above the middle, 5-10 cm long. Tapering to both ends with a short, sharp tip.
Surface: Dull green on top; paler underneath with occasional tufts of hair at the vein axils.
Leaf: Sharp, closely spaced teeth (4-5 per vein), each ending in a straight, hair-like point. In fall turns yellow, orange, or red.
Buds: 3-4 mm long, pointed, slightly diverging from the twig. Dark brown with pale edges.
Twigs: Grayish-brown. Slender to moderately stout. When bruised, the twigs emit a strong bitter almond scent (due to cyanogenic compounds).
Unique Feature: Only Prunus species in Canada without a grayish outer layer that peels off.
Flowers: White. Small, with flower stalks 5-6 mm long. Densely packed in elongated cylindrical clusters (racemes) 8-15 cm long, appearing at the ends of new leafy shoots. Bloom Time opens before the new leaves fully develop, earlier than Black Cherry.
Fruits: varies by tree—can be yellow, crimson, or black. 8-10 mm across. Very astringent but edible. Hanging in elongated drooping clusters of 6-12 fruits.
Ripening in August to early September. Seed crops can be abundant, providing an important food source for wildlife.
Distinguishing Feature: A minute remnant of the flower calyx remains at the base of each fruit.
Young Trees: Smooth or finely scaled, dark grayish-brown.
Mature Trees: Almost black, with prominent lenticels (not extending horizontally like in most Prunus species).
Wood: Not commercially significant, but sometimes used for small woodworking projects.
Vegetative Reproduction: Spreads prolifically through root and stump sprouts, allowing it to colonize areas rapidly.
Wildlife Value: A crucial food source for birds and mammals. Leaves, twigs, and bark are browsed by deer and other herbivores.

Key Features:
Leaves widest above the middle, with small, sharp teeth.
Buds with two shades of brown.
Strong bitter almond odor when twigs are crushed.
Flowers earlier than Black Cherry.
Fruit color varies from yellow to black.