Chokecherry, Black

Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

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Attractive native, edible shrub stabilizes soil and feeds wildlife! 

This beautiful and versatile shrub provides food, shelter, and habitat for wildlife including birds, bears, deer and other browsers, small mammals, humans, and many different pollinators. Sour fruits are high in nutrients and can be sweetened to make syrups and jams. Good soil stabilizer, tolerant of a wide variety of soils. Also quite attractive and popular for ornamental landscapes. Can be toxic to cattle and sheep if grazed in large amounts. Grows about 12 ft tall and wide.    

Chokecherries are an ancestral food of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce). Called ti’ms, berries are gathered and eaten fresh or dried, and are also used to make a red dye. We acknowledge the impact colonization has had on the ancestral foodways and medicines of this area, and are seeking guidance about how we can best be of use in supporting Indigenous-led efforts to restore these ancestral foodways. 

Seeds were sustainably wildcrafted in the Great Basin by Kyle and friends at Native-Seed Company.

30 seeds

Directions: Plant seeds ½” deep in a weed-free bed in fall or winter. Germinates best after 3 - 6 months of cold stratification. The area must be kept weed-free for the first 2-3 years.

For more information about planting and establishing Black Chokecherry, please refer to the USDA Plant Guide.