Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Common Chokecherry

Description:

A compact form of chokecherry selected for its heavy yields of large reddish-black fruit in summer on long chains; primarily a commercial variety but ideal for use as a compact home orchard plant, tends to sucker, can be susceptible to black knot

Edible Qualities

Garrington Chokecherry is a large shrub that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces small dark red round fruit (technically 'drupes') with black overtones and dark red flesh which are usually ready for picking in mid summer. Note that the fruits have hard inedible pits inside which must be removed before eating or processing. The fruits have a sour taste and a juicy texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Baking
• Preserves
• Wine-Making
• Sauces

Features & Attributes

Garrington Chokecherry features showy chains of fragrant white flowers hanging below the branches in mid spring. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The oval leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy dark red drupes with black overtones, which are carried in abundance in mid summer.

This is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Garrington Chokecherry is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Planting & Growing

Garrington Chokecherry will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This shrub is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.