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Whenever women have insisted on absolute equality with men, they have invariably wound up with the dirty end of the stick. What they are and what they can do makes them superior to men, and their proper tactic is to demand special privileges, all the traffic will bear. They should never settle merely for equality. For women, "equality" is a disaster.

Robert A. Heinlein

Choke Cherry

Prunus virginiana var melanocarpa

Choke cherry is a native plant. It can be trained into a small tree by selecting a single stem, and ruthlessly suppressing all suckers, but by preference it is a tall shrub, with a bucketful or two of stems, and growing 5-10 feet all. Blossoms are tiny, white, and borne in clusters of 20-50. Berries are black, and are very tart. I'm told that they make wonderful jam and jelly. I've tried one off the bush. Tart isn't the word. These berries have enough puckerpower to turn your tonsils inside out.

(Fall 2008 I harvested half a bucket of chokecherries, separated the seeds from the fruit. Laura made a batch of chokecherry and black current syrup that we enjoy on our pancakes and waffles.)

This is a good wildlife plant. Deer will browse it, birds will nest in it, and will appreciate any berries you don't turn into jelly.

In the fall it has multicolour leaves, predominantly orange, but with yellow and red notes. It's a native species but is not very noticeable until fall colours hit. It's one of the few shrubs that is a real orange in colour.

It's very drought tolerant.

Recommended as a mid-level shelterbelt species, or for just general interest.

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Sherwood's Forests is located about 75 km southwest of Edmonton, Alberta. Please refer to the map on our Contact page for directions.