Chokecherry

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score

0

Native Status

✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON

Closest Direction

Local

CEC Eco-Regions

5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians

Rarity Notes

Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the US (N5). Ranked S5 in Ontario. Not ranked in Quebec but extremely common across the province with 565 preserved specimens. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. No conservation concerns.

S22 G5, N5, S5-ON, SNR-QC; S26 not SARA listed; S48 565 QC specimens

Rarity Ranks

QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure

Migration

Stable

Ecological Context

Chokecherry is a widespread early-successional shrub or small tree of forest edges, fencerows, roadsides, and thickets throughout the Outaouais. It colonizes abandoned fields and disturbed ground, forming dense suckering thickets. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it occupies mesic to dry-mesic sites on a wide range of substrates including sandy, loamy, and calcareous soils, and is common in alvars and rocky openings as well as riparian borders.

S10 habitat description; S48 specimens from Aylmer alvars and Hull; S62 Common in Ottawa; S7 fencerows, roadsides, dry rocky ground

Permaculture & Companion Planting

Roles

Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat

S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]

Notes

As a suckering shrub that forms thickets, chokecherry works best at woodland edges or as a hedgerow component where its spreading habit is an asset for erosion control and wildlife corridor creation. Its shallow plate-like root system and suckering nature should be considered when siting near garden beds. Provides early-season bloom for pollinators and summer fruit for birds in a layered food forest design.

S29 erosion control, food forest, shallow roots; S72 wildlife habitat role; S10 thicket-forming habit

Medicinal Properties

ℹ

Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.

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Category

Astringent, Febrifuge, Pectoral, Sedative, Tonic, Antidiarrheal, Dermatological Aid, Cough Medicine, Cold Remedy, Gastrointestinal Aid

S29 PFAF medicinal categories; S28 Moerman Drug categories from multiple nations

Notes

Widely employed by many Indigenous nations across North America. Cherokee used bark infusions for coughs, colds, and fevers, and root bark as a wash for sores and ulcers. Blackfoot used berry juice for diarrhea and sore throats. Algonquin of Quebec combined bark with sweet flag for coughs. Roots and bark serve as a blood tonic, astringent, pectoral, and sedative. Bark is sometimes used as a flavouring agent in cough syrups. All Prunus contain amygdalin and prunasin which break down to hydrocyanic acid.

S29 medicinal properties; S28 Cherokee, Blackfoot, Algonquin QC uses; S36 Health Canada NHPID homeopathic listing

Edibility & Foraging

ℹ

Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.

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✅ Edible    ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes

Fruit is extremely astringent raw but widely used in pies, jellies, and preserves after cooking. Dried fruit is palatable raw. Seeds are nutritious and were added to pemmican by Plains peoples. Bark and twigs used as a tea substitute. Blackfoot considered chokecherries a staple food, using them in soups, dried for storage, and in ceremonial preparations. Algonquin peoples of Quebec ate the cherries fresh and made them into preserves and wine.

S29 fruit, seed, tea uses; S28 Blackfoot staple, Algonquin QC food uses; S11 Palatable Human=Yes

Toxicity

☠️ High Toxicity

All parts except ripe fruit pulp contain amygdalin and prunasin, cyanogenic glycosides that release hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when tissues are damaged or wilted. Seeds contain the highest concentrations. Wilted or frost-damaged leaves are most dangerous to livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, causing respiratory failure, slow pulse, dilated pupils, staggering, and death. Toxicity is highest in spring and summer; leaves become less toxic as they mature. Children have died after ingesting large quantities of berries including the seeds. Very bitter seeds should not be eaten.

S11 Toxicity=Severe; S29 HCN in seeds; S4 hydrocyanic acid warnings; S10 wilted foliage toxicity detail

Seed Source

• Northern Wildflowers