Canada Red Chokecherry for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on January 26, 2022

Planting instructions

Finding a planting location for the Canada Red chokecherry is not difficult to do. These plants can grow in both full and partial sunlight and will adapt to many different soil types, including sandy soils and rocky soils. Overall, this plant proves to be an excellent option for difficult growing areas where other plants struggle to survive. When planting this tree, start the process by digging a wide hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall. Then backfill while providing water and topdress the area with a layer of organic mulch.

Watering and nutrients

New Canada Red chokecherries should receive enough water to keep their soil consistently moist for the duration of the first growing season. Following the first growing season, you can begin providing water on a weekly basis. Mature plants often show drought resistance as well. Regarding fertilization, it’s best to feed your Canada red chokecherry once per year in spring. The fertilizer you use should have higher amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen with lower amounts of potassium.

Pollination

While many people choose to grow the Canada Red chokecherry for its visual appeal alone, other gardeners opt to grow this species for its fruits. If you fall into the second group, you should know that the Canada Red chokecherry is a self-fertile plant, which makes pollination relatively easy. However, having two of these plants to allow for cross-pollination often leads to larger fruit yields. When in bloom, Canada Red chokecherries rely mainly on insects to conduct pollination.

Pruning

Rather than pruning in the late winter or early spring, prune your Canada Red chokecherry in the mid to late spring. The perfect time to perform pruning is just after the flowers have faded. When pruning, focus on removing any dead, damaged, or diseased parts of the plant. You can also use your pruning efforts to thin the canopy and control the overall shape of this tree. For example, you can train this plant to grow as either a single-stemmed plant or in a multi-stemmed habit.

Pests, diseases, and animals

While there are plenty of benefits to growing a Canada Red chokecherry, there are some downsides as well. The main issue for this plant is the threat of disease. The most harmful disease that afflicts this species is called mycoplasma, a condition that will kill the tree and has no known cure. Leafhopper insects are responsible for spreading this disease, so watch out for them and be ready to remove them immediately from your plant if they arrive.

Harvesting

The fruits on your Canada Red chokecherry will first appear with a green color. You should wait until each of those fruits turns from green to a deep red color before you harvest them. Often, the longer you wait, the better your chokecherry fruits will taste. Once your fruits are ripe, they should be easy to remove by hand. You’ll likely find that the raw flavor of these fruits is not favorable. However, if you cook these fruits into jams and other dishes, they can be quite delicious.

Achieving maximum results

One common issue with the Canada Red chokecherry is that it tends to spread via suckering. Suckering makes it difficult to control this plant and often detracts from the appearance of its form. As such, it’s wise to remove any suckers you find when pruning. You should also be aware of this plant’s more functional uses. For example, the Canada Red chokecherry is an excellent plant to use for erosion control. If you want to take advantage of this erosion control, you may want to allow for some suckering to let this plant spread over your eroding area.

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