U.S. Two North American species of cherries, with astringent properties; also the trees, Prunus borealis and P. hyemalis, the latter called more fully Black Choke Cherry.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 188. Dwarf or Choak Cherry (Pr. canadensis).
1838–44. Loudon, Trees & Shrubs, 703 (L.). C. borealis … Astringent in the mouth, and hence called choke-cherries. Ibid., 705. The fruit [of Cerasus hyemalis] … is called by the inhabitants [of Virginia and Carolina] the black choke-cherry.
1881. E. Mason, in Harper’s Mag., Nov., 835/1. The choke-cherry and the mountain ash display their red fruit.
