Chokecherries

The Chokecherry

The chokecherry is one of the most widespread trees in North America. The chokecherry tree has several distinctive features. One of the most interesting parts of the chokecherry tree is the berry, which is eaten by birds, as well as humans. The berry can be used to make many different types of foods. Due to its wide range, it has been an important tree to people for as far back as the time of the Native Americans.

The chokecherry, or Prunus virginiana, is a member of the plum family. It is a small tree, up to 25 feet tall, which usually grows in small shrubby clusters. Chokecherry trees commonly have twisted trunks. The chokecherry tree’s bark is a dark reddish or grayish brown. The bark is also smooth and hard to peel off the trunk. They are found along watercourses and in woodlands. Chokecherries deal with droughts and floods remarkably well. Chokecherry trees usually bear fruit in late August.

The chokecherry is a small, smooth, round berry, with a minute pit in the center. They can be crimson, yellow, black or orange. Chokecherries are edible, although they are generally bitter. However, some of them are succulent and sweet. The flesh of the berries is not poisonous, but the seeds are. They can produce a choking sensation once eaten, and can poison and kill children if consumed in large quantities. The leaves are also poisonous. They give off cyanide when they wilt, and can kill livestock, mainly horses, although this is rare. Chokecherries are extremely popular with many songbirds but are often ignored by humans due to their unsavory name.

Chokecherries are used to make wine, jelly, juice, and syrup. They are commonly dried, either as berries, or as fruit leather. Chokecherry wine is extremely popular and is made either from black chokecherries or from a blend of crimson, yellow, and orange chokecherries. The jelly and syrup made from chokecherries is superb. Chokecherry tree bark is used for various tonics, and is often shredded, either to make twine or to decorate baskets. Many years ago, Native Americans of the plains used chokecherries, mixed with fat and dried buffalo meat, to make pemmican, an important staple food.

The chokecherry is definitely an excellent fruit to have growing in your backyard. Birds positively love the chokecherry, due to its flavor and abundance. Chokecherries have a wide array of uses beyond eating plain, which makes the chokecherry a popular meal. Despite the unappealing name, many people find chokecherries to be absolutely delicious.