British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide |
CHOKE CHERRY
Prunus virginiana
- When
eaten, the choke cherry produces a choking sensation
- 'Virginiana'
refers to the area where Choke Cherries were first identified
and described
UNIQUE
FEATURES:
- The
Choke Cherry is usually a shrub, sometimes a tree
- Choke
Cherries sometimes have twisted or crooked trunk
- The
Choke Cherry has a narrow, irregular crown
LOCATION:
- The
Choke Cherry is found in southern BC, east of the
Coast and Cascade mountains
- The
Choke Cherry grows in central and northeastern BC
- Low
to mid elevations
- Along
watercourses, edge of woodlands and thickets
SIZE:
- 1
to 4 metres tall
- 1
to 4 metres tall
FRUIT:
- Round,
shiny, black or crimson cherries
- 15
mm in diameter
- Edible
but bitter, popular with birds
FLOWERS:
- Small,
5 petaled, white, numerous
- Cluster
at the end of the twig (resembling a bottle brush)
- Bloom
in May and June
LEAVES:
- Oval-shaped,
pointed at tip and blunt base
- Broadest
above the middle with sharply toothed edges
- 8
to 10 cm long
- Thin,
dull green with a greenish, hairy underside
BARK:
- Dark
reddish-brown to greyish-brown
- Smooth,
doesn't peel readily
USES:
- Modern
- cherries: wine, juice, syrup, jelly
- Traditional
- cherries: food (often dried); wood: handles; bark:
tonic, shredded for decorating baskets and as a twine
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