Prunus virginiana Seeds | Chokecherry
LATIN NAME: Prunus virginiana
COMMON NAME: Chokecherry
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) stands out as a deciduous shrub in the rose family. It likes sun or light shade, and moist, well-drained soil. Bees and other pollinators visit the flowers freely through the season. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Prunus virginiana sits in the rose family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Long flower clusters of chokecherry give it a recognised place in research on cold-hardy fruit shrubs of great cherry group, and virginiana species appears in studies of suckering thicket build and fruit chemistry. It retains a following among breeders and collectors, which keeps seed stocks in circulation.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Chokecherry earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. In cold garden and wild corner, chokecherry drops spring garden with white clusters and dark berries. Cherries serve jellies, syrups and wines for generations, clusters feed birds and small mammals, and flowers open for the bees. It grows well in moist, well-drained, sunny or lightly shaded ground. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
The rose family’s great fruit genus gives plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds, all carotenoid- and polyphenol-rich; in Chinese medicine the kernels and fruits, from Xing Ren for coughs to Yu Li Ren for regularity, are classical herbs, always processed to manage their cyanogenic compounds.
Growing from Seed
Chokecherry grows readily from seed. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Chokecherry repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Chokecherry often pair it with these related subjects: