Chokecherry - Wild Edible Berry Identification and Description

Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana

Identification and Description
In this video I forage for and provide a description of Chokecherry. It is a wild edible cherry that has been described as bitter and astringent by some. Others have described it as sweet and highly edible and delicious. It has been widely used by indigenous people across North America. It is widespread throughout the Okanagan, across Canada, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and throughout much of the United States. The flesh of the fruit is the only edible part, and other parts can be poisonous and should not be consumed.

Chokecherry's scientific name is Prunus virginiana. They grow 1 to 8 m tall but usually up to 4 m tall. Chokecherries grow along fencerows, streams, and forest edges. They are scattered to abundant at low to mid elevations. The fruits are shiny red to purple or black cherries.

Although it is called chokecherry, it is a highly sought after fruit by many people. The fruit makes a very good jelly, and it is a very popular wild edible berry that many people forage for and use for making preserves.

The leaves are thin and broadly oval with pointed tips. The edges of the leaves are toothed, and I think they resemble Saskatoon berry leaves to some extent.

Edible
Chokecherries can be eaten raw, but it is more often cooked or dried. The cooked cherries are used to make jelly, syrup, sauce or wine. The cherries are also used to make things like pies, muffins, and pancakes.

Medicinal
Choke cherry has been used traditionally to make tea to treat some conditions such as coughs, colds, sore throats, pneumonia, and diarrhea. The Secwepemc used choke cherry juice following a sickness to help regain strength.

Distribution
Chokecherry is scattered and locally abundant at low to mid elevations. It can be found in open grasslands and clearings. It is shade tolerant and prefers wetter areas of dry landscapes and can be found growing along stream banks, canyons, and wooded ravines and gullies. It is found in all provinces across Canada and in the Northwest Territory. It is also found throughout the Pacific Northwest and throughout much of the United States.

Here's my Facebook page
  / okanagangardenerandforager  

Here is my Instagram page
  / okanagan_gardenerandforager  

Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!

References

Elias, T. and Dykeman, P. Edible Wild Plants. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 1982

Kloos, Scott. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc. 2017

MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014

Parish, R.; Coupe, R.; and Lloyd, D. Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2018

Warnock, C. 437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West. Familius LLC. 2018.