Aronia melanocarpa

Product Info

Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Rose Family

This medium-size shrub is highly adaptable in the landscape. Its suckering nature makes it a great candidate for erosion control, natural hedges, or drainage easements. It can tolerate a wide range of soil and moisture conditions, but will produce the most fruit and have the best fall color in full sun. Early spring blooms are numerous, but short lived and are replaced by fruit that turn black when ripe in late fall/early winter. Fruits are considered a last resort for birds late in the season. Black chokeberries are considered to be among the highest sources of antioxidants found in fruit. While too astringent to eat raw, fruits can be frozen and dried to add to food, or made into jams.

Blooms: White, 2-3 weeks, Apr-May
Leaves: Glossy, dark green leaves turn brilliant shades of red and orange in the fall
Height: 3-6’
Space: 3-4’
Soil: Moist-Average, occasionally flooded, fairly adaptable
Exposure:  Full sun-Part sun-Part shade
Fauna: Bees, butterflies, fruit for birds, host plant for over 29 lepidoptera
Seeds: Small, dark fruit typically remain on the plant through winter and are a last resort for birds, popular fruit for people
Deer Resistance: Low
Zone: 3-8
Native Status: NC native, common in the Mountains, rare in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont
Provenance: PA, seed grown