Western Chokecherry vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Western Chokecherry vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus virginiana var. demissa

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

SOLD OUT

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Western Chokecherry
Opata Cherry Plum

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.

Opata Cherry Plum is considered to be one of the best tasting Cherry Plum varieties. It has a pleasant, sweet flavour and a hint of acidity. They ripen in mid to late August and are well suited to fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

The fruit is closer to a plum than a cherry but is smaller than most plums.The Opata Cherry Plum’s skin is red/green whereas the flesh is yellow-green. The flesh is freestone with a juicy, firm texture. Similar to other stone fruits, it does not store for very long.

The Opata Cherry Plum is a hybrid between a Western Sand Cherry and a Japanese (Chinese) Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

Western Chokecherry Quick Facts

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: reddish-purple
Berries: edible, astringent, red-purple
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Harvest: mid to late August
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium



Toxicity: toxic to horses, cattle, etc.)

Other Names: bitter-berry, chokecherry, common chokecherry, virginia bird berry
Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry