Common chokecherry is a large deciduous shrub or a small, 20-foot-high, understory tree that often forms a dense colony. Slender twigs form an oval to rounded crown. Clusters of drooping white flowers are followed by dark purple fruit.
Common chokecherry is native throughout most of the United States but difficult to find in the nursery trade. It is susceptible to many insect and disease problems.
This species is native to the Chicago Region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.
- Family (English) Rose
- Family (botanic) Rosaceae
- Tree or plant type Tree, Shrub
- Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
- Native locale Chicago area, Illinois, North America
- Size range Large shrub (more than 8 feet), Compact tree (10-15 feet), Small tree (15-25 feet)
- Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
- Hardiness zones Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago)
- Soil preference Alkaline soil, Dry soil
- Tolerances Alkaline soil, clay soil, Dry sites
- Season of interest mid spring, early fall
- Flower color and fragrance Fragrant, White
- Shape or form Irregular, Oval, Round, Thicket-forming
- Growth rate Moderate
