Pronounced (approximate): PROO-nus vir-jin-ee-AY-nah
Many white flowers form elongated cylindrical racemes.
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): flowers and plant details. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Rosaceae
Life cycle Deciduous shrub or small tree
Blooms May–June
Height 10–25 feet
Habitat Woodland margins, thickets, and streambanks
Common names: Chokecherry
Bloom timing and height vary with location. See the regional range below.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Woodland margins, thickets, and streambanks. Flowering season: may–june.
Unlike chokeberry, chokecherry carries flowers along a long central axis. Black cherry generally has narrower leaves and rusty hairs beneath the leaf midrib.
Many white flowers form elongated cylindrical racemes.
Alternate oval leaves have sharp teeth.
Fruit ripens from red to dark purple or black.
Woodland margins, thickets, and streambanks.
3 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native across much of North America, south into northern Mexico.
Documented U.S. state records
AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Documented state occurrences; native and introduced records may both be included. This is not a county-level map.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Chokecherry in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.