How to Plant & Care for Canadian Red Chokecherry

The Canadian red chokecherry tree (Prunus virginiana), a relative of the plum, is grown either as a shrub or a small tree, reaching 30 feet tall. Varieties boast burgundy, green and even yellow leaves. Chokecherry fruit, which hangs from the tree like bunches of grapes, is edible but generally quite bitter. Hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 3, it is easy to grow and adds a pop of color to the landscape.

Things You'll Need

• Hoe or garden fork
• Shovel
• Mulch
• Fertilizer
• Insecticidal soap
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Remove all weeds from within a 3-foot radius of where you will be planting the Canada red chokecherry tree.

2. Prepare the soil in the planting area by digging into it to a depth of 12 inches, in a 12-inch square. Use the hoe or garden fork to crush the soil and remove any rocks or other debris that turn up.

3. Dig a planting hole that is the same depth as the root ball and twice the diameter. Fill the hole with water and allow it to drain.

4. Place the tree's roots in the hole and fill the hole halfway with soil. Add water to the hole until it is full, allow it to drain and finish filling it with soil. The water helps to settle the soil around the tree's roots and removes air pockets.

5. Place a 3-inch layer of mulch, 6 inches from the tree and spread out 1 foot, completely surrounding it.

6. Water the Canadian red chokecherry tree until the water puddles. Allow the top 3 inches of soil to dry before watering again. The tree is drought-hardy and can tolerate dry soil.

7. Fertilize the red chokecherry tree every other year in early spring. Use a 5-7-2 formula, sprinkled on the soil in a 3-foot radius around the tree. Use a rake to scratch the fertilizer into the soil and then water until the top 3 inches of soil is moist.

8. Check the chokecherry periodically for signs of aphids, the most common pest for this tree. A strong blast of water from the hose usually takes care of a small infestation. For larger problems, use an insecticidal soap spray, at the rate suggested on the label.

9. Prune suckers as they appear if you are growing your Canada red chokecherry as a tree. Since the chokecherry is naturally a shrub, it will continue to produce new shoots from the crown. To keep it as a tree, use your hands to rub the suckers off if they are small, otherwise, use pruning shears and cut them all the way to their points of origin.

10. Check the chokecherry tree periodically for signs of black knot disease, caused by a fungus. Symptoms include black bumps or "knots" on smaller branches. Prune the knots 2 to 4 inches below each one. Burn or bury all cuttings. Treat the disease with 10 tbsp. of lime sulfur spray in a gallon of water, sprayed on the tree when the buds are pale pink. When the buds break, and weekly through the middle of June, spray the tree with a mixture of 1 tbsp. captan and 1/2 tbsp. benamyl per gallon of water.

References

• Colorado State University: Canada Red Chokecherry
• University of Saskatchewan Extension: The Common Chokecherry
• "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses"; Michael A. Dirr; 1998
• North Dakota State University: Disease Control In Cherries, Plums and Other Stone Fruits
• North Carolina State: Black Knot of Plum and Cherry