Western Chokecherry vs Water Arum - TreeTime.ca

Western Chokecherry vs Water Arum

Prunus virginiana var. demissa

Calla palustris

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Western Chokecherry
Water Arum

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.

Water Arum is a native perennial wetland plant known for its showy white oval sheaths (spathe) that surround a yellow-green, cylindrical flower spike (spadix). It has large, oblong, heart-shaped leaves on stems that rise above the water from shallow, spreading rhizomes. The blossoms are followed in late summer by tiny, pear-shaped fruits that ripen to bright red, adding ornamental interest to wet habitats.

Water Arum provides food for birds and small mammals that eat its berries, and its flowers attract pollinators. It can tolerate cold climates and forms colonies in shallow water and saturated soils. It is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian planting, naturalisation, and habitat projects in wet and shaded environments.

Western Chokecherry Quick Facts

Water Arum Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: low

Toxicity: toxic to horses, cattle, etc.)

Toxicity: toxic if ingested
Fall colour: reddish-purple
Flowers: white sheath around and yellow spike
Bloom time: spring to summer
Berries: edible, astringent, red-purple
Berries: red, in clusters
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: bitter-berry, chokecherry, common chokecherry, virginia bird berry
Other Names: bog arum, swamp lily, wild calla, wild dragon