Aronia melanocarpa
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Photinia melanocarpa
- Pyrus melanocarpa
- Sorbus melanocarpa
- Phonetic Spelling
- ar-OH-nee-ah mel-an-oh-KAR-pah
- Description
-
Black chokeberry is a deciduous shrub from the Rosaceae family that spreads freely and suckers profusely. The top is often rounded and upright; it tends to become leggy with age. The fruit is edible though very astringent and is produced from 5-6 flowered clusters that bloom in late spring. The leaves turn red in the fall and will drop for winter. It is native to Eastern North America. Can be used as a shrub in borders or in more open wooded gardens. This plant does well in full sun and partial shade and tolerates a wide variety of soil types including wet boggy soils.
The genus name, Aronia, is from the Greek word "aria." This is the Greek name for the species of Sorbus, whose fruits are similar to the Chokeberry. The species name, melanocarpa, is the combination of two words. Melano means black and carpa meaning fruit. This is derived from the ripe fruits of this species. The common name, Chokeberry, references its tart and bitter berries. They are edible but are so astringent they may cause choking.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Magic'
Bright red fall foliage - 'Black Magic'
- 'Elata'
Larger flowers, leaves and fruit, compacted rounded shrub - 'Grandiflora'
- 'McKenzie'
Larger form 6-12 feet, developed for conservation use - 'Morton'
Dwarf--about 3 feet tall; Trademark name "Iroquois Beauty" - 'Nero'
Shorter variety with dark blue berries - 'Viking'
Large black fruits, shrub 4-6 feet tall; red fall foliage
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Autumn Magic', 'Black Magic', 'Elata', 'Grandiflora', 'McKenzie', 'Morton', 'Nero', 'Viking'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Magic'
Bright red fall foliage - 'Black Magic'
- 'Elata'
Larger flowers, leaves and fruit, compacted rounded shrub - 'Grandiflora'
- 'McKenzie'
Larger form 6-12 feet, developed for conservation use - 'Morton'
Dwarf--about 3 feet tall; Trademark name "Iroquois Beauty" - 'Nero'
Shorter variety with dark blue berries - 'Viking'
Large black fruits, shrub 4-6 feet tall; red fall foliage
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Autumn Magic', 'Black Magic', 'Elata', 'Grandiflora', 'McKenzie', 'Morton', 'Nero', 'Viking'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Aronia
- Species:
- melanocarpa
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America, NC
- Distribution:
- Native: Canada--New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec; United States--AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV;
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruits attract birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- drought, range of soil conditions from wet to dry
- Edibility:
- Fruits are edible but quite astringent, hence the common names, so make into jams or jellies.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Multi-trunked
- Open
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Purple/Lavender
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Pome
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruits are shiny, showy edible blackish-purple pome (though often referred to as a berry) 1/2" across. Fruits display from August to September. The best fruit production occurs in full sun.
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The blooms are tiny 0.3-inch, off-white to pink 5 petaled flowers bloom from May to June in clusters of 5-6.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple elliptic 1"-3", glossy, dark green finely serrate leaves that have a wine-red fall color. Color varies among seedlings.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Wet Soil
