Tag: Chokecherry safety

While the fleshy part of ripe chokecherries is safe to eat, the seeds, leaves, and bark contain a form of cyanide known as cyanogenic glycosides. Understanding if you can eat too many chokecherries is crucial, as the fruit's safety depends entirely on how it is prepared and consumed.

Native to North America, chokecherries (Prunus virginiana) were a traditional food for many Indigenous tribes. So, can humans eat chokecherries today? The answer is yes, with the critical understanding that only the ripe fruit's flesh is safe, while the rest of the plant is toxic.