Trees & Shrubs of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Notes: Chokecherry is indigenous to the Garden. Eloise Butler noted it in her Garden Log on April 29, 1907 and first planted Chokecherry in the Garden on May 28, 1909 with plants obtained from the Park Board Nursery. Presumably, they have been in the Garden ever since and replanted as necessary, as they appear on all the Garden Census lists. Most recently, Curator Susan Wilkins planted 20 new shrubs in 2008, more in 2012. The Chokecherry is found throughout North America except the very far north and the southern states of LA, MS, AL, FL and SC. In Minnesota it is found throughout the state except for 8 widely scattered counties.

There are six species of Prunus native to Minnesota: P. americana, American Wild Plum; P. nigra, Canadian Plum (or Cherry); P. pensylvanica, Pin Cherry; P. pumila, Sand Cherry; P. serotina var. serotina, Black Cherry; and P. virginiana var. virginiana, Chokecherry. Several introduced species have also been reported.

Medicinal Use: In medicinal use, Densmore (Ref.#5) notes Chokecherry use in her study of the Minnesota Chippewa. They made a decoction of the inner bark for use as a disinfectant and as a gargle for sore throats and when the root was mixed with other plants, the decoction was used for hemorrhage of the lung. The inner bark was used for treating cramps. Hutchins (Ref.#12) also notes that thin young thin bark is the part used medicinally. Water is used as the solvent and a mild tonic and sedative is created. The taste is bitter and astringent. Wild Chokecherry bark was used in cough medicines and was used to treat diarrhoea in children.

Evidence of the bark's medicinal properties is recorded in the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on June 11, 1805 (Ref.#3b): [Lewis was out with 4 men on an exploring trip of the country surrounding where the Tansy River meets the Missouri.] "They then halted for dinner; Captain Lewis, who had been for some days afflicted with dysentery, was now attacked with violent pains, attended by a high fever, and was unable to go on. He therefore camped for the night under some willow-boughs. Having brought no medicine, he determined to try an experiment with the small twigs of the choke-cherry, which being stripped of their leaves and cut into pieces about two inches long, were boiled in pure water, till they produced a strong black decoction of an astringent bitter taste; a pint of this he took at sunset, and repeated the dose an hour afterward. By ten o'clock he was perfectly relieved from pain, a gentle perspiration ensued, his fever abated, and in the morning he was quite recovered."

Lore and Usage: There is considerable literature on the uses of this plant. Here is a sampling. Like all cherry pits, these contain hydrocyanic acid and the pits must be removed before use. In making jellies, they are best removed by straining after the cooking process. In making jelly or preserves from Chokecherry, Harrington (Ref.#9) reports that any recipe for sour cherry jelly will do as long as you add pectin, as pectin is very low or lacking in the Chokecherry. Some prefer a mixture of half apple juice for a better tasting product. Chokecherry syrup is made using half the pectin used in the jelly recipes (see below). Chokecherry wine is also popular and Harrington gives a recipe. Densmore and also Harrington report that many native American groups would dry the fruit and then pound it into a powder or simple grind it all up, stones and all, and then dry it in the sun in the form of small cakes that could be stored for later use. Adding water later, a sauce would be made. In the dry state it would be mixed with dried meat to form pemmican. The process of grinding and drying seems to have leached out the acid (it dissipates with exposure to air) and avoided digestive problems. Finally, Fernald, (Ref.#6) quotes early colonist William Wood from 1634: "they so furre the mouth that the tongue will cleave to the roofe, and the throate wax horse with swallowing those red Bullies (as I may call them) being little better in taste. English ordering may bring them to be an English Cherrie, but yet they are as wilde as the Indians'."

Here is a recipe for Chokecherry syrup that does not use pectin: Pick a bucket of very ripe chokecherries. Wash them thoroughly. Put them in a large kettle and put enough water in the kettle to keep them from sticking. Simmer until the berries are very soft and mushy. Run the berry mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. Pour the pulp back into a pan and reheat. Don't let it sick and burn. Add honey to taste and stir well. The syrup will be somewhat pulpy, not clear. It can be frozen in small plastic containers, or canned in a water bath. This syrup retains the distinctive chokecherry flavor and is great on pancakes or waffles. (Recipe courtesy Kelseya, Winter 2001. Montana Native Plant Society.)