Black Cherry vs Chokecherry

Prunus serotina compared with Prunus virginiana

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Cherry	Chokecherry
Kingdom same	Plantae (plantas)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family same	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus same	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)	Prunus (Cherries & Plums)
Species	Prunus serotina	Prunus virginiana

Evolutionary Relationship

Black Cherry and Chokecherry share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Prunus. (Cherries & Plums)

View Genus: Prunus

Conservation Status

Black Cherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Chokecherry

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Cherry	Chokecherry
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Cherry

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe), Asia (Armenia), Europe (28 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Colombia, Peru).

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).

Black Cherry

The Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) is a species in the genus Prunus. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions. Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe), Asia (Armenia), Europe (28 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Colombia, Peru).

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.