Barb Holtey

Oh no, Brenda, the berries are already GONE.  The birds don't wait til they are black.  I understand which small tree or bush you mean.  They make the forest beautiful in the spring with thier bottlebrush creamy white flowers.  There are none of the big wild cherry trees at my place - too wet,  too much clay.  I will have to protect some of the bushes as soon as the berries start to form next year. 

Brenda:  That link has a wonderful amount of information as does your own story.  Now I am inspired to try next year to net a few of the trees so I can harvest chokecherries too.  As it says in the link, anything I've read before dismisses the berries as not being wothwhile.  I live in extreme southern ontario and there are hundreds of these little trees on my property.  I've even planted quite a few around the house as landscape plants mostly for the entertainment of watching the birds harvest the berries - and it is truly entertaining because the whole tree quivers and shakes as though it is experiencing it's own private little tornado.  The chokecherries attract all sorts of species of birds and now I realize - they can't all be wrong.  What's more, they are seeding the entire 14 acres with more and more of these worthy plants.  Thanks for letting me in on this information.

Are you talking about chokecherries or chokeberries?  Cokecherries abound on my little piece of heaven but I can't gather anything before the birds do.  Feathered friends strip every little tree or bush bare before the fruits are ripe.  I am talking Chokecherries - first they are green, then red, finally black.  What are you planning to do with them?  I have read that they make a good jam.