Chokecherry 'Canada Red' (Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red'): Purple Foliage Tree

Chokecherry 'Canada Red' is a cultivar selected for its striking purple foliage that emerges green and turns deep purple, with fragrant white flowers and edible fruit.

Botanical Profile

Description and Features

This small tree grows 20–30 feet tall with an oval crown. New leaves emerge green, quickly turning deep purple. Fragrant white racemes in spring are followed by dark red to black cherries, astringent but used for jelly, wine. Fall color is reddish.

Cultivation and Uses

'Canada Red' prefers full sun, well-drained soil. It is cold-hardy and adaptable. Used as a specimen for foliage color, in shelterbelts, and for fruit. Suckers can form thickets; remove to maintain tree form.

Note

Seeds and leaves contain cyanogenic compounds; do not consume in quantity.