Species Name:  Prunus virginiana

Common Name: American Chokecherry

Zone: 2 to 6

Distribution:  Southern Canada From British Columbia in the west to Newfoundland in the east south to North Carolina westerly to Texas and California

Seed collection: Begin collecting seed in late July through August. Seed is mature and ready for collecting when the fruit changes color.  Fruit will go through a series of color changes from green to a bright red and then gradually turn a deep purplish black. Seed should be collected soon after it ripens. Seed is readily eaten by many song birds as there are few other fruits available at this time of year. Large flocks of Black birds can descend on heavily laden trees and strip them bare. Many small mammals such as raccoons, possum and fox also relish chokecherry fruit. If the fruit remains uneaten it will shrivel on the stem and fall to the ground. Fallen seed and seed dispersed by birds and mammals is subject to seed predation by mice and chipmunks.  Little seed will be found just two weeks past maturity. Plants growing in full sun will produce the most fruit.  Some trees will produce so much fruit that from a distance they have a reddish or purplish cast. 

Seed handling: The fruit of Prunus virginiana (PV) consists of a small hard pit surrounded by a fleshy pulp.  The pulp and skin should be removed from the seed soon after collection or the fruit will quickly begin to ferment and decay. The pulp is easily removed from the seed by crushing the fruit with your hands, large batches can be processed in a food processor. Separate the pulp and skins from the seeds by flushing with several changes of water. The sound seeds will sink to the bottom of the container and unsound seed will float with the skins and pulp. The pulp, skins and infertile seeds are then removed with the water.

Seed should not be stored dry. Seed can either be planted immediately or placed in a moist potting mix for stratification. Two to three months cold/moist stratification is usually sufficient to overcome embryo dormancy. Seed can be fall or spring seeded into prepared seed beds or direct seeded into natural soil.  Stratified seed often begins germinating in storage prior to planting.  Germinating seed can be planted in individual pots or in seed beds but make sure the emerging root is pointing down. 

Germination requirements: A very high percentage of PV seed will germinate the first spring if  cold/moist stratified for 2 to 3 months or immediately fall planted. A certain percentage  of seed that does not germinate the first spring will germinate the following year or even later. Sow seed ¼ to ½” deep in prepared seed beds or in natural soils. Seedlings will grow from a few inches to  6 to 12” maximum the first year depending on weed competition and growing conditions. Seedlings will grow in full sun to half shade.  Artificial shade can be provided or seed planted under natural vegetation. Seedlings are very vigorous and can effectively compete with weeds under natural conditions. In natural plantings place seed in contact with the soil where there is minimal competition from dense grass and perennial weeds. Old-fields and land with a mix of shrubs and trees is ideal habitat for establishment of PV.

 Ecology: Prunus virginiana is a valuable large shrub or small tree especially useful for naturalizing at the old-field stage of succession. PV suckers freely from its roots and can form dense spreading clumps. It may also grow into a small tree to 20ft in height.  It grows under an extremely wide range of soil, pH and moisture conditions, tolerating very poor dry soils to heavy clay soils that are poorly drained.

 PV can be expected to grow in nearly any habitat except very wet saturated soils. It can be found growing in full sun to full shade but PV seldom produces fruit in shade.  PV is frequently found growing in hedgerows, forest margins and in old fields. Chokecherry readily colonizes disturbed habitats, waste places and early successional lands because of its adaptability and tolerance of adverse growing conditions. Its abundant fruit production and widespread dispersal by birds and mammals makes PV a common and widely distributed small tree.

this page posted February 20, 2008