The Story of Chokecherry

For the Native Indians who roamed the North American plains, the chokecherry provided vitamins and a sweet-tart flavor. These luscious purple berries were harvested, along with other fruit, in midsummer to fall and stored in a partly dried or frozen state. Chokecherries mixed with fat and suet and pounded into the meat of buffalo became pemmican, a staple food eaten by Native Indians during journeys and long winters. Today the chokecherry fruit is used to make jam and syrup prized as a gourmet treat. Chokecherry bushes still grow wild in prairie ravines and remain one of the most important plants for wildlife food and shelter.