Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
A native cherry, astringent until fully ripe, used for syrup and jelly. Pits, like other Prunus, are not food. Not aronia.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
A native cherry, astringent until fully ripe, used for syrup and jelly. Pits, like other Prunus, are not food. Not aronia.
Edible portions
- ripe fruit, usually cooked/sweetened
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. 2–7
- Light. Full sun
- Soil. Average
- Planting. Suckering thicket tree. Wildlife plant.
- Harvest. When fully dark; still puckery.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Syrup, jelly
Safety
- Pits/leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides like other cherries — eat the pulp, not a pit smoothie.
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class A. Strong page: distinctive plant facts plus practical growing or kitchen use.