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Issue No. 116 - June 13, 2004
by Sue Sweeney
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Around my town, in May, you can’t miss the
ornamental Japanese cherries. Beautiful but
they’re mostly bred to be sterile; so, while they
aren’t invasive, environmentally, they’re just a
pretty face (except to trunk-boring insects).
Fortunately, our bountiful native chokecherries also
abound. Some are intentionally-planted cultivars but
many are nature’s come-by-chance gifts. |
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Picture:
Chokecherry fruit ripening on Bedford Street, in
Stamford CT, June 2004 |
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Since the birds spread the seeds, you could consider
chokecherries (Prunus virginiana), growing in dense
thickets along the roadsides and in the hedges, as part of
the birds’ on-going habitat restoration project. It’s one
native that can compete with many of the invasive plants
that like the same sites.
If you want a small (15 to 25’), carefree tree with
mid-summer fruit for the birds, and pretty spring
flowers for you (said to smell strongly of almonds),
it’s hard to beat a chokecherry. You also get nice,
open shade and a good windbreak; the birds and
squirrels get a cozy nesting habitat.
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picture:
Morgan Street, Stamford CT May 2004 |
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| The breaking buds and new leaves in spring are lovely,
as is the bark. The young twigs are red, maturing to the
shiny reddish-brown with the prominent horizontal striping
that’s the hallmark of cherries. |
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picture:
Young leaves and twigs, Hoyt Street Alley
Stamford CT 2004 |
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| The older tree trunks are deeply furrowed, gracefully
masterpieces. The pretty fall leaves are an extra bonus. |
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picture: a
mature chokecherry fighting with an invasive
Asian Bittersweet, Hoyt Street Stamford, CT
April 2004 |
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| Chokecherries naturally live in mixed stands with other
larger shrubs, often at the edge of forests or in moist
places. As I child, I encountered them along the fence lines
in upstate N.Y., and, of course, had to see for myself if
the sour fruit would really choke you (answer: not quite). |
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picture:
young chokecherry tree, Morgan Street alley,
Stamford CT, June 2004 |
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| Take it from the U.S.A. Forest Service: “Chokecherry is
widely regarded as an important wildlife food plant and
provides habitat, watershed protection, and species
diversity.” Likewise, the Kansas Forest Service:
“Chokecherry is very popular for wildlife habitat. It
provides food and cover for songbird nesting, bird loafing
and roosting, and animal loafing and bedding. It is relished
by a great number of wildlife species.” (We do have many
birds and small mammals in these parts of the ‘burbs, but I
seldom catch them loafing -- perhaps we need more
chokecherries).
In the wild, large mammals, such as bears, moose,
coyotes, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, elk, and deer also enjoy
the tree’s bark, twigs, fruit and/or leaves and use its
thick stands for cover. Chokecherry is poisonous to domestic
cattle and sheep, but it is said that they don’t eat fatal
quantities unless other forage is scarce.
Culture: If you want a chokecherry, it’s often just a
matter of not pulling up what the birds bring you. For
faster service, you can buy them at most nurseries,
including the wonderful ‘Canada Red’ cultivar that hardy to
Zone 3 and whose leaves turn deep purple as they mature.
Chokecherries like full sun or a bit of shade. They like
moister sites but must have well drained soil and prefer the
mid-PH range (6.0 to 7.0). Give it some room to create its
own little thicket from sucker-roots. It’s prefect for the
edge of a “rain garden”, a privacy screen or a windbreak. |
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picture: planted cultivar,
Morgan Street, Stamford CT May 2004 |
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If there’s any fruit left for you, it’s too
tart for humans to eat raw but it’s great
for jelly, jam, syrup, and wine. Native
Americans used the bark, fruit, leaves, and
twigs for medical purposes, and added the
fruit to pemmican. |
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