chokecherry

Also known as Bitter-berry, Virginia Bird Cherry, Western Chokecherry

Chokecherry forms dense thickets along forest edges, stream banks, and prairie borders across North America. Drooping clusters of fragrant white flowers bloom in spring, yielding dense racemes of dark red to purplish-black fruit by late summer. Dozens of bird species and mammals rely on these fruits for autumn migration fuel, while native caterpillars feed heavily on the foliage.