Wildlife
- Feeds birds
- Pollinators
- Butterflies & moths
- Small mammals
The flowers attract butterflies and bees, and the summer fruit is eaten by many songbirds and mammals.
Ships bare root
Native
Mature plant shown. Yours ships dormant and bare root.
What arrives
1 dormant bare-root plant, about 2–3 ft tall
- No leaves, no pot, no soil. Roots packed moist.
- Ships in your zone's planting window.
- Leafs out about 4–8 weeks after planting.
Native tree · edible
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
- Ships 2–3 ft tall
- 1 plant, bare root
- Zones 2–6
- Grows 20–30 ft
$11.95Was $14.95Save 20%
No reviews yet. Be the first to reviewThe quick answer
Chokecherry is a very cold-hardy native small tree or large shrub for USDA zones 2-6 that grows 20-30 ft tall in full sun to part shade. It is planted for wildlife, windbreaks and tart dark fruit used for jelly and syrup. It usually fruits within 3-5 years; one plant can fruit alone, and it suckers to form thickets.
When it ships to you
Zone scheduleHow many?
plants
Free shipping on orders $75+$75
Healthy deliveryOr we replace it
Shipped dormantTimed to your zone
1-year warrantyStore credit, terms
Chokecherry plant profile
Mature size20–30 ft tall · 15–25 ft wide
Typical (20 ft)Up to 30 ft
Irregular, oval to rounded crown; suckers to form dense colonies.
USDA hardiness zones2–6
Sun & growth
SlowMediumFast
Full sun to part shade. Fruit in about 3–5 years.
SoilpH 6.0–8.0
4 acidic6.59 alkaline
Tolerates clay, dry and alkaline soils; prefers well-drained soil.
Native to the USEdible harvestYellow to orange fall colorWindbreakHedge & screen
Flowers & fruit
- Fruit in 3–5 yrs
- Edible
Long clusters of white flowers in spring are followed by pea-sized cherries that ripen from red to dark purple in summer.
Leaves & fall color
Yellow to orange in fall. Glossy green, finely toothed leaves turn yellow to orange in fall.
Pests & disease
Prone to black knot, tent caterpillars, leaf spot and other Prunus pests; remove black knot promptly.
Pruning
Prune in late winter; remove suckers and any branches with black knot galls.
Bare root vs potted
Skip the garden-center markup.
Garden centers buy young plants, pot them, grow them another season and mark them up. We ship yours dormant and bare root, timed to your planting window.
Bare root, from us$11.95ships dormant
Example: 3-gal potted American hazelnut$70–$140online retail prices checked Oct 2026
A year with your Chokecherry
SPRINGLong clusters of white flowers
SUMMERFruit ripens from red to dark purple
LATE SUMMERHarvest for jelly and syrup
FALLYellow to orange leaves
Questions people ask about Chokecherry
Can you eat chokecherries?
Yes, the ripe fruit flesh is commonly cooked into jelly, syrup and wine, but never eat the pits, leaves or stems, which contain cyanide compounds.
Does chokecherry need a pollinator?
One plant can fruit on its own, but having another chokecherry nearby usually improves the crop.
How tall does a chokecherry tree get?
It grows 20-30 ft tall and often spreads by suckers into a dense clump.
Is chokecherry toxic to horses?
Yes. Wilting leaves are especially toxic to livestock, so keep it out of pastures.
How will my chokecherry be shipped?
It ships dormant as a bare-root tree about 2-3 ft tall with no leaves.
Plant it in 4 steps
- Soak the roots in cold water overnight before planting.
- Dig twice as wide as the roots; plant at the depth it grew.
- Water, then mulch. No fertilizer the first season.
- Water regularly until it's established.
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Plant facts checked October 2026 against: Morton Arboretum, NC State Extension.