Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red' ('Schubert') Rosaceae
Canada Red Chokecherry
- Deciduous tree, to 20-25 ft (6-7.5 m) tall, somewhat less of a spread, oval to rounded crown, straight trunk. Leaves have a shape similar to that of species type, although they are green at first then becoming dark purple, by June about 90% of the foliage is purple (Jacobson, 1996), leaves on new growth and root suckers at this time are green.
- Sun or partial shade.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 2 The standard "purple-leaf" form of P. virginiana for many years was (is) the cultivar 'Schubert', a 1943 introduction of the Oscar H. Will Co. of Bismark, North Dakota. Reportedly some 60-70% of the seedlings of 'Schubert' show the typical red-purple color (Jacobson, 1996). Apparently P. v. 'Canada Red' is a sport shoot of 'Schubert', however, some references treat the two cultivars as essentially equivalent whereas others indicate that the mature leaves of 'Canada Red' are reddish and those of 'Schubert' more purplish-red. A further selection, 'Schubert Select' was introduced by Bailey nursery of St. Paul, Minnesota.