Prunus virginiana L.

Common chokecherry, chokecherry

Similar species

	Aronia arbutifolia	Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’	You are here Prunus virginiana
Common Name	red chokeberry	red chokeberry	common chokecherry
Plant	Vase-shaped shrubs are up to 6–12′ (1.8–3.7 m) in height, with a spread of about 4′ (1.2 m). Bark is reddish, and peeling.	Vase-shaped shrubs are up to 6–8′ (1.8–2.4 m) in height, with a spread of about 4′ (1.2 m). Bark is reddish, and peeling.	Chokecherries are small deciduous trees up to about 18′ (5.5 m) high.
Leaves	Elliptic to oblong to obovate. Each leaf is up to 3½″ (8.9 cm) long, green above, and grayish green below due to fine hairs. In the fall, the foliage turns reddish, though less dramatically than its primary cultivar, A. arbutifolia ‘Brillian­tissima’.	Elliptic to oblong to obovate. Each leaf is up to 3½″ (8.9 cm) long, green above, and grayish green below due to fine hairs. In the fall, the foliage turns bright or deep ruby red.	Oval, ⅞–4″ long ⨉ ⅜–1¾″ wide (2.5–10 ⨉ 1.2–5 cm), with serrated edges.
Flowers	White or pink, and fragrant. Each flower has five petals and is about ¼″ (8.5 mm) in diameter. Flowers appear in April	White or pink, and fragrant. Each flower has five petals and is about ¼″ (8.5 mm) in diameter. Flowers appear in April	Racemes of flowers are 1½–4″ (4–11 cm) long. Fragrant flowers have five lobes, and are ¼–½″ (8.5–12 mm) around.
Fruit	Bright red and fairly hard, about ⅜″ (1 cm), like tiny apples.	Bright red and fairly hard, about ⅜″ (1 cm), like tiny apples.	Drupes are profuse, ⅛–½″ (6–14 mm) in diameter, and bright red, ripening to dark purple or black.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 4-9	USDA Zones: 2-7
Habitats	Well-drained soils with medium moisture content, and partial to full sun.		Moist woods; stream banks; prairie hillsides; fence rows; rocky bluffs; roadsides.

Prunus virginiana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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