Big-Leaf Maple vs Chokecherry

Acer macrophyllum compared with Prunus virginiana

Key Differences

• Big-Leaf Maple is Least Concern while Chokecherry is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Big-Leaf Maple	Chokecherry
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Sapindales (Sapindales)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family	Sapindaceae	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus	Acer	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)
Species	Acer macrophyllum	Prunus virginiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Big-Leaf Maple and Chokecherry share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Big-Leaf Maple

LC — Least Concern

Chokecherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Big-Leaf Maple	Chokecherry
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Big-Leaf Maple

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and United States.

Chokecherry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (14 countries) and North America (United States).

Big-Leaf Maple

The Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a species in the genus Acer. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Chokecherry

The Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a widespread, suckering shrub or small tree in the family Rosaceae, native throughout most of North America from Alaska and the Yukon south to Georgia and Baja California, with naturalised populations in parts of Europe. It produces clusters of small white flowers in elongated racemes in spring, followed by dark red to near-black drupes (chokecherries) that are astringent and bitter when raw due to high tannin content but become palatable after cooking and are widely used for jams, jellies, syrups, and wines. The common name chokecherry alludes to the choking sensation caused by eating unripe or raw fruit. All parts of the plant except the ripe flesh contain cyanogenic glycosides — primarily amygdalin — which can release hydrogen cyanide and are toxic to humans and livestock if consumed in quantity. The species is highly adaptable, colonising roadsides, forest edges, disturbed ground, and riparian areas across a wide range of soil types and climates. It is an important wildlife plant throughout its range, providing food for numerous birds (particularly thrushes, waxwings, and grouse) and mammals (bears, deer, raccoons). The IUCN lists it as Not Evaluated. Chokecherry is also an important cultural plant for many Indigenous peoples of North America.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇺🇸 United States