Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Magnoliophyta -- flowering plants

Class: Magnoliopsida -- dicotyledons

Family: Rosaceae -- rose

Variety: The Palouse phase is usually var. melanocarpa. For further discussion, see "Comments" below.

Common Name: chokecherry

Species Code: PRVI, PRVIM, PRVID

Origin: Native to moist sites in grasslands and open forests over much of North America. On the Palouse it forms thickets on moist sites such as north facing slopes and extends into drier sites as stunted, single stemmed individuals

Rare: no

Form: shrub, erect, 1-5 m tall, thicket-forming; bark reddish to grayish brown, young twigs pubescent, lenticels inconspicuous.

Mature height: 3-16 feet

Duration: perennial

Longevity: medium lifespan

Habitat Type: prairie, shrub thickets, forest

Wetland Indicator Status: FACU

Leaves: alternate, deciduous; petioles 5-15 mm long with 1 or 2 purplish-red glands near the junction with the blade; blades 4-10 cm long, elliptic to ovate or obovate, green and glabrous on the upper surface, paler and glabrous to pubescent on the lower, margins finely serrate, tips acute to acuminate.

Flowers: numerous, borne in a long, terminal, pendent raceme, pedicles 4-8 mm long; calyx glabrous, the 5 oval lobes spreading to reflexed, finely glandular-erose, 1-1.5 mm long; corolla white, rotate, with 5 suborbicular petals, 4-6 mm long.

Flower color: white

Bloom: May, June

Bloom starts on: mid May

Bloom ends on: mid June

Fruit: drupe, fleshy, red to black, ovoid to globose, 8-11 mm long, glabrous, astringent; stone solitary, large, 5-8 mm wide.

Characteristics:
P. demissa in Piper & Beattie 1914.
Reproduces both sexually by seed and vegetatively by rhizomes.
4971 seeds/lb (USDA NRCS PLANTS Database 2010).
3010-8400 (average 4790) seeds/lb (Grisez et al undated).
4,150-4,250 seeds/lb for var. melanocarpa (Hassell et al 1996).
2n=16 (University of British Columbia 2003, Baldwin et al 2004).
Flowers are perfect.
Fruit is a drupe.
P. virginiana is subject to black knot disease, which also infects other species of Prunus. The most obvious symptom is enlarged dark grey to black galls on the limbs. Black knot disease is caused by the fungus Apiosporina morbosa (sometimes called A. morbosum). A synonym is Dibotryon morbosum.
Ascospores of A. morbosa are shed in early spring during periods of high moisture and cool temperatures. Pruning the galls well back along the infected branch provides some control. Lime sulfur controls A. morbosa in domestic plums (P. domestica) and Captan has been shown to control the disease in plum and sour cherry (P. cerasus) (Zhang et al 2005a).
It generally takes 2 years after infection for the galls to appear. Genotypes of A. morbosa are highly host specific and spores formed on one species of Prunus often will NOT infect another species of Prunus (Zhang et al 2005b).
The fruits were widely used, both fresh and dry, by Native Americans.
Wood was used by Native Americans for arrows, bows, and pipe stems (Stubbendieck et al 1997).
Fruits are used for jelly and jam.
Black bears (Ursus americanus) eat the fruit and disperse the seed. Seed germination is higher for seed passed by bears (Auger et al 2002).
Rocky Mountain elk browse the plants throughout the year (Kufeld 1973).
Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. Twigs and leaves are browsed by deer.
Prunus as a genus is insect pollinated (Grisez et al undated).
Prunus spp. are generally self compatible and can self pollinate if no other pollen source is available (Grisez et al undated).
Prunus species are a host for the larva of the pale swallowtail butterfly (Papilo eurymedon), larva of the western tiger swallowtail (Papilo rutulus), and the larva of Lorquin’s admiral (Limentis lorquini) (Pocewicz 2005). P. virginiana is a host for the larva of the coral hairstreak (Satyrium titus) (Pyle 2005).

Comments: The common Palouse phase is var. melanocarpa. Var. demissa is more common west of the Cascade Mountains but is occasionally found on the east side. There is a specimen of var. demissa collected in Pullman in 1902 and deposited by Charles V. Piper in the University of Washington Herbarium. The two varieties differ mostly in the degree of pubescence on the lower leaf surface. A third phase, var. virginiana tends to be more tree-like, to 15 m, and is found in eastern North America.

Sun requirement: full sun to partial shade

Soil moisture: mesic

Precipitation: 13-65 inches (USDA NRCS PLANTS Database 2010).

Fire: Root crowns usually survive fire, cover often increases following fire (Crane & Fischer 1986).
Tops are killed by fire but root crowns and rhizomes resprout. Also colonizes from seed in the seed bank and from off-site sources carried to the site by animals (Johnson 2000).

Hazards: The leaves, twigs, and stones can cause prussic acid poisoning.

Sowing time: fall

Transplant time: spring

Stratification: extended cold moist

Seed yield: medium

Seed harvest: medium difficulty

Seed first harvest: no information available

Seed cleaning: difficult

Planting duration: long

Seed insect problem: none noted

Seed shatter: low

Seed size: large

Seed harvest date: late August to early September

Seed comments: Birds will eat the fruits as they ripen.

Herbaria: Specimen data and digital resources from The Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

Keywords: native perennial upland shrub

Propagation:
Search protocols for Prunus virginiana in the Native Plant Network

Other Propagation Information:
Seeds of Prunus spp. have an embryo dormancy and require after-ripening with moisture and oxygen followed by cold moist stratification in sand or a peat-sand mix at 2-5^oC. Seed can be sown in the fall or stratified and spring sown. Seeds need 90-126 days cold moist stratification (Grisez et al undated).
Seeds require 15-90 minutes scarification in sulfuric acid, then 2 months of warm moist stratification followed by 4 months of cold moist stratification in mesh bag between layers of peat (Hudson & Carlson 1998).
Sow seed in fall. Difficult to establish from seed (Kingery et al 2003).
After-ripen moist seed in the presence of oxygen to overcome embryo dormancy, then follow with 120-150 days cold moist stratification at 3-5^oC. Softwood cuttings are also possible w/ mist and bottom heat (Rose et al 1998).
Needs 4 months cold moist stratification (Tolstead 1941).
Needs 3 months cold moist stratification (Mirov & Kraebel 1939).
Best germination occurs when seed is stratified for 16-24 weeks, then moved to temperatures of 21-27^oC. Some seed will germinate in stratification after 16 weeks (Lockley 1980).
In nature, fruits are often eaten by birds, but there is no difference in germination between manual and bird removal of the pulp. Seeds deposited in bird droppings germinate at a lower rate than seeds for which the pulp is removed manually (Meyer and Witmer 1998).
Reproduces both sexually by seed and vegetatively by rhizomes.

Notes: Tends to sucker from the roots and needs plenty of space if used in landscaping (Idaho Native Plant Society 1999).

References:
Auger, Janene, Susan E. Meyer, and Hal L. Black. 2002. Are American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) Legitimate Seed Dispensers for Fleshy-fruited Shrubs? American Midland Naturalist 147(2):352-367.

Baldwin, B.G., S. Boyd, B.J. Ertter, D.J. Keil, R.W. Patterson, T.J. Rosatti, and D.H. Wilken (eds). 2004. Jepson Online Interchange for California Floristics. University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Accessed 2/25/10 online at http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/interchange.html

Francis, John K. (editor). 2004. Wildland Shrubs of the United States and Its Territories: Thamnic Descriptions: Volume 1. Gen. Tech. Report 11TF-GTR-26. USDA, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and USDA, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO. 839 pp.

Grisez, Ted J., Jill R. Barbour, and Robert P. Karrfalt. undated. Prunus L. cherry, peach, and plum. In: Bonner, Franklin T., and Rebecca G. Nisley (eds.). Woody Plant Seed Manual. USDA Forest Service. Available online at http://www.nsl.fs.fed.us/wpsm/

Hassell, Wendell, W. Rocky Beavers, Steve Ouellette, and Thomas Mitchell. 1996. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species. US Department of Interior and US Department of Agriculture, NRCS. Denver, CO.

Hitchcock, C. Leo, Arthur Cronquist, Marion Ownbey, and J.W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 5 vol.

Hudson, Shelley, and Michael Carlson. 1998. Propagation of Interior British Columbia Native Plants from Seed. British Columbia Ministry of Forests. Online at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/docs/mr/Mr093/Mr093.pdf

Idaho Native Plant Society. 1999. Native Plants of Northern Idaho for Landscaping and Restoration. INPS White Pine Chapter. Moscow, ID. Online at http://www.idahonativeplants.org/guides/NorthIdahoGuide.aspx

Johnson, Kathleen A. 2000. Prunus virginiana. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2010, February 28].

Kingery, James, Angela Cotter, and Kendra Moseley. 2003. Idaho Roadside Revegetation Handbook. Prepared for: Idaho Transportation Department. Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, University of Idaho. Online at http://h237-41.state.id.us/highways/ops/maintenance/Manuals/fullVegetationManual.pdf

Kufeld, Roland. 1973. Foods Eaten by the Rocky Mountain Elk. Journal of Range Management 26:106-113.

Lockley, G.C. 1980. Germination of chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) seeds. Seed Science and Technology 8:237-244.

Meyer, Gretchen, and Mark C. Witmer. 1998. Influence of Seed Processing by Frugivorous Birds on Germination of Three North American Shrubs. American Midland Naturalist 140:129-139.

Mirov, N.T., and C.J. Kraebel. 1939. Collecting and Handling Seeds of Wild Plants. Civilian Conservation Corps Forestry Publ. No.5. US Government Printing Office. Washington, DC.

Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Press of the New Era Printing Company, Lancaster, PA. 296 pp.

Pocewicz, Amy. 2005. Host Plants of Palouse Butterfly Species. 2 page handout to accompany the April 2005 presentation to the Palouse Prairie Foundation.

Pyle, Robert M. 2002. The Butterflies of Cascadia. The Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington. 420 pp.

Rose, Robin, Caryn E.C. Chachulski, and Diane L. Haase. 1998. Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.

Stubbendieck, James, Stephan L. Hatch, and Charles H. Butterfield. 1997. North American Range Plants. 5th edition. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. 501 pp.

Tolstead, W.L. 1941. Germination Habits of Certain Sand-Hill Plants in Nebraska. Ecology 22:393-397.

University of British Columbia. 2003. British Columbia Flora. University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research. Accessed 9/1/09 online at http://www.bcflora.org/

USDA NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 25 February 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Zhang, Jinxiu, W.G. Dilantha Fernando, and William R. Remphrey. 2005a. Molecular Detection of Apiosporina morbosa, Causal Agent of Black Knot in Prunus virginiana. Plant Disease 89:815-821.

Zhang, Jinxiu, W.G. Dilantha Fernando, and William R. Remphrey. 2005b. Genetic Diversity and Structure of the Apiosporina morbosa Populations in Prunus spp. Phytopathology 95:859-866.

Links:
Plant Profile from the USDA PLANTS Database
Species account from the Fire Effects Information System
Species information from the University of Washington Herbarium
Plant Guide from the USDA PLANTS Database