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Wind Cave National Park
Shrubs - Chokecherry
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| NPS Photo |
Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana
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Shrub or small tree 5 to 20 feet tall with smooth bark and dark green ovate leaves. Sweet smelling blossoms yield clusters of dark red fruits in late June/early July. Fruits were harvested by Plains Indians for use in preparing pemmican, a winter staple food which combined fruit, meat (usually bison, elk, or deer) and fat. Juice from the crushed fruits was given to a husband or favorite child as a treat, and sticks were used to season meat during roasting. Attesting to the significance of chokecherries as a food source, Dakota refer to the full moon of July as “black cherry moon.” Settlers prepared sweet treats (preserves, syrups) made from chokecherries combined with a lot of sugar. Chokecherries may also be eaten raw, though the pits contain hydrocyanic acid.
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Did You Know?
The Field Milkvetch has a colorful flower which is often overlooked because it tends to grow hidden in the grass. Color can vary to reddish-purple.
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Last Updated: May 16, 2007 at 13:32 EST |
