Prunus virginiana melanocarpa, Black Chokecherry, forms a small tree or large shrub. Black Chokecherry grows from the middle elevations of California's Sierra Nevada Range to the other side of the Rocky Mountains. Black chokecherry has very pretty large racemes of white flowers that attract butterflies.
Distribution: Alaska, Canada and much of the United States
Habitat: Foothills and lowlands, more common in drier areas
Flowers: May - Early July
Origin: Native
Conservation Status: Not of concern
General:Deciduous, erect shrubs or small trees, 1-5 m. tall, the bark purplish-gray.
Leaves:Leaf blades elliptic to oblong-obovate, finely serrate, 4-10 cm. long, bright green and glabrous on the upper surface, paler and glabrous to pubescent beneath.
Flowers:Inflorescence a terminal, pendant, many-flowered raceme, the uniform pedicels 4-8 mm. long; calyx glabrous, the 5 lobes spreading to recurved, oval, finely glandular, 1-1.5 mm. long; petals 5, creamy white, sub-orbicular, early-deciduous, 4-6 mm. long; stamens about 25; pistil 1.
Fruits:Drupe ovoid, 8-11 mm. long, red to purple or black.