North Dakota State Fruit: The Chokecherry and Its Prairie Heritage
North Dakota State Fruit: The Chokecherry and Its Prairie Heritage
North Dakota's state fruit is the chokecherry, a hardy native shrub that has been a vital part of life on the Northern Great Plains for thousands of years. In 2007, the North Dakota Legislative Assembly officially designated the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) as the state fruit, recognizing a plant that has deep cultural, historical, and ecological significance to the Peace Garden State.
The chokecherry is one of the most widespread native fruit-bearing plants in North America, growing from coast to coast and from the southern United States well into Canada. But nowhere is the chokecherry more closely identified with a state's identity than in North Dakota, where it grows along river bottoms, fence rows, shelterbelts, and prairie hillsides from the Red River Valley to the Badlands.
The History of Chokecherries in North Dakota
Chokecherries have been gathered and used by the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains for thousands of years. The Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota, Dakota, and Ojibwe all relied on chokecherries as an important food source. The berries were dried, pounded, and mixed with dried buffalo meat and rendered fat to create pemmican, a highly nutritious and long-lasting food that sustained communities through harsh northern winters and during long journeys.
The name "chokecherry" comes from the intensely astringent taste of the raw fruit, which can make your mouth pucker. Despite this sharp flavor when eaten fresh off the bush, chokecherries become delicious when cooked and sweetened, transforming into rich jams, jellies, syrups, and wines that are prized throughout the Northern Plains states.
Lewis and Clark documented chokecherries extensively during their expedition through present-day North Dakota in 1804 and 1805. The explorers noted the abundance of the fruit along the Missouri River and recorded how Native peoples used it in their food preparation. This early documentation helped establish the chokecherry's place in the historical record of the Northern Plains.
How Students Made the Chokecherry the State Fruit
The campaign to designate the chokecherry as North Dakota's official state fruit was led by elementary school students, continuing a proud tradition of young citizens contributing to their state's official symbols. Students researched native plants of North Dakota and presented their case to state legislators, arguing that the chokecherry's deep roots in the state's natural and cultural heritage made it the ideal choice.
The legislation was introduced and passed during the 2007 session of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. Governor John Hoeven signed the bill into law, making the chokecherry the official state fruit. The designation was celebrated as both a recognition of the chokecherry's importance and a testament to the power of civic engagement by young North Dakotans.
Where Chokecherries Grow in North Dakota
Chokecherries are remarkably adaptable and can be found growing throughout North Dakota in a variety of habitats. They thrive along river and stream banks, in coulees and ravines, along fence lines and shelterbelts, and on the edges of woodlands. The Turtle Mountains, the Pembina Gorge, the Killdeer Mountains, and the river valleys of the Missouri and its tributaries are all excellent chokecherry habitat.
The plant typically grows as a large shrub or small tree, reaching heights of 6 to 20 feet. In spring, chokecherries produce beautiful clusters of fragrant white flowers that are among the first signs of the growing season on the prairie. By late summer, the flowers give way to clusters of small round berries that ripen from red to dark purple or nearly black.
Chokecherries are an important component of North Dakota's native plant communities and play a vital ecological role. The berries provide food for dozens of bird species, including cedar waxwings, robins, and sharp-tailed grouse. Deer, bears, and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, and the dense thickets formed by chokecherry bushes provide essential cover and nesting habitat for prairie birds and small mammals.
Cooking and Preserving Chokecherries
While raw chokecherries are too astringent for most palates, they become wonderfully flavorful when properly prepared. Chokecherry jelly is perhaps the most iconic product, prized for its deep ruby color and complex, slightly wild flavor that is unlike any commercial fruit preserve. Chokecherry syrup is another popular preparation, used on pancakes, waffles, and ice cream throughout the Northern Plains.
Chokecherry wine has a long tradition in North Dakota and the surrounding states. Home winemakers and small commercial wineries produce chokecherry wines that range from sweet dessert styles to drier table wines. The fruit's natural tannins and acidity give chokecherry wine a structure and complexity that surprises many first-time tasters.
Other popular chokecherry products include pie fillings, sauces, fruit leather, and even chokecherry-flavored candies and chocolates. Many North Dakota families have treasured chokecherry recipes that have been handed down through generations, and the annual late-summer ritual of picking and processing chokecherries remains an important tradition in communities across the state.
Other Fruits That Grow in North Dakota
North Dakota's short growing season and harsh winters limit the range of fruits that can be grown commercially, but the state supports a surprisingly diverse array of cold-hardy fruit crops. In addition to wild chokecherries, several other native and cultivated fruits thrive in the North Dakota climate.
Juneberries, also known as saskatoon berries or serviceberries, are another beloved native fruit that grows wild across the state and is increasingly cultivated commercially. Wild plums grow along river bottoms and prairie draws, producing small but intensely flavored fruit. Buffalo berries, with their tart, bright orange fruit, are another distinctive native species found throughout the western part of the state.
Hardy apple varieties bred for northern climates can be grown successfully in sheltered locations across North Dakota. Sour cherries, particularly the hardy varieties developed at the University of Saskatchewan, perform well in the state. Raspberries, strawberries, and currants are popular choices for home gardens and small farms, and haskap berries have gained interest in recent years as a promising new cold-hardy fruit crop.
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North Dakota's Agricultural Identity
Agriculture is the backbone of North Dakota's economy and culture. The state is one of the nation's leading producers of wheat, sunflowers, barley, flaxseed, and canola. While large-scale grain farming dominates the landscape, the chokecherry's designation as the state fruit serves as a reminder of the wild foods that sustained life on the Northern Plains long before the first plow broke the prairie sod.
The chokecherry represents a connection to the land that runs deeper than any cultivated crop. It is a survivor, thriving in the harsh conditions of the Northern Great Plains where temperatures can swing from 40 below zero in winter to over 100 degrees in summer. In choosing the chokecherry as their state fruit, North Dakotans honored a plant that embodies the resilience and rugged beauty of the prairie itself.
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Frequently Asked Questions About North Dakota State Fruit
What is the state fruit of North Dakota?
The official state fruit of North Dakota is the chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). It was designated in 2007 by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, recognizing the fruit's deep cultural and ecological significance to the state.
What do chokecherries taste like?
Raw chokecherries are intensely astringent and tart, which is how they got their name. However, when cooked and sweetened, chokecherries develop a rich, complex flavor that makes excellent jelly, syrup, wine, and pie filling.
When are chokecherries ripe in North Dakota?
Chokecherries typically ripen in North Dakota from late July through August. The berries turn from red to dark purple or nearly black when fully ripe. They grow in clusters on bushes found along rivers, fence rows, and prairie hillsides throughout the state.
Are chokecherries safe to eat?
The ripe berries are safe to eat, though most people prefer them cooked and sweetened due to their astringent raw flavor. However, the leaves, bark, and seeds contain compounds that can release cyanide, so only the fruit pulp should be consumed and seeds should not be crushed or eaten.
What other fruits grow in North Dakota?
North Dakota supports several cold-hardy fruits including juneberries, wild plums, buffalo berries, hardy apples, sour cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and currants. Native wild fruits like chokecherries and juneberries have been gathered on the Northern Plains for thousands of years.