Aronia Berry, Aronia melanocarpa, Black Chokeberry
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil: A native species in the Southern Appalachians, often found growing with the wild blueberries in high elevation balds. Good for any garden soil. Also does well in wetland situations or poorly drained soil.
Growth habits: Very attractive deciduous shrubs from 4 to 7 feet tall. Glossy dark green summer foliage followed by bright red fall color. Beautiful clusters of white flowers in the spring followed by large blue-black fruit clusters in late summer to early fall.
Landscape uses: Orchard production of the very nutritious berries. Useful in home landscapes for hedging and foundation plantings. Great wetland margin plant. Nectar/pollen source for beneficial insects and bees.
Edible/Medicinal properties: The blue-black berries are borne in abundance on plants from an early age. The berries are very popular in Europe for healthy juice production and due to their high pectin content also make very tasty and nutritious jams. The berries are extremely rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins.
Aronia berry reference page (pdf)
Available Varieties
'Iroquois Beauty' - More compact variety with abundant fruit, growing to 3' tall by 5' wide. $39/5 gal
'Nero' - Grows 3-4' tall with abundant jet-black fruit. $30/3 gal Out of stock until June 2012
'Viking' - A vigorous and productive grower with large fruit, to 6 feet. A popular commercial variety in Europe. $30 / 3 gal Out of stock until June 2012