Photo by Tom Norton on iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
- When
- Typically August – September — August, September. Earlier in the south, later in the north.
- Where it grows
- Coulees, fence lines, forest edges and riverbanks.
- How to know it
- Long drooping clusters of dark red-to-black cherries on a small tree with finely toothed oval leaves.
- Look-alikes
- None dangerous, but the pits, leaves and stems contain cyanide compounds — never crush or eat the pits.
- Harvest and use
- Astringent raw; superb syrup and jelly once cooked and strained.
- Caution
- Strain out every pit. Wilted leaves are poisonous to livestock.
Found in these regions
- Prairies & Great Plains
- Boreal Forest & Shield
- Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Lowlands
- Western Mountains & Interior Plateaus
- Acadian Forest & Atlantic Coast
- Boreal North & Taiga
Hardiness zones 2–7.
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Also ready in September
FruitAugust – SeptemberBeach plum
Prunus maritima
Low sprawling shrub in the sand, with dusty purple plums about the size of a marble.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0
NutSeptember – OctoberBlack walnut
Juglans nigra
Tennis-ball green husks lying under a tall tree with long compound leaves; the husk stains everything it touches brown.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg · CC BY 4.0
BerryAugust – SeptemberElderberries
Sambucus canadensis
Flat, heavy clusters of tiny purple-black berries on red-tinged stems, on a shrub with opposite compound leaves.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: David Anderson · CC BY 4.0
Educational information only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom identified from a single photograph or description — confirm with a regional field guide or an experienced forager, and know the poisonous species in your area first.