Western Chokecherry vs White Meadowsweet - TreeTime.ca

Western Chokecherry vs White Meadowsweet

Spiraea alba

Prunus virginiana var. demissa

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2024)

White Meadowsweet
Western Chokecherry

White Meadowsweet is a woody, deciduous shrub that begins to bloom in early summer with small white and pink flowers. Its foliage turns from a light green into an attractive golden-yellow later in the fall.

The White Meadowsweet, also known as Mead-Wort or Bride-Wort, is favored by birds and butterflies but is largely ignored by deer. They produce small brown berries in the summer, and while they are technically edible, they are not sweet and are more desired by wildlife.

Western Chokecherry is a shrub or small tree commonly used for farmstead and field windbreaks.

It produces white flowers in the spring and edible dark purple fruit that matures between September and October. Its cherries are great for making for making jams, jellies or wine, but are not very palatable for raw eating.

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Western Chokecherry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: golden yellow
Fall colour: reddish-purple
Berries: edible, astringent, red-purple
Flowers: white, small
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: high
Suckering: low




Toxicity: toxic to horses, cattle, etc.)
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem
Other Names: bitter-berry, chokecherry, common chokecherry, virginia bird berry