Aronia melanocarpa
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Photinia melanocarpa
- Sorbus melanocarpa
- Phonetic Spelling
- ar-OH-nee-ah mel-an-oh-KAR-pah
- Description
-
Aronia melanocarpa, known as black chokeberry, this deciduous shrub from the Rosaceae family 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.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Black Magic'
- 'Grandiflora'
- var. 'elata'
Larger flowers, leaves and fruit
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Autumn Magic', 'Black Magic', 'Grandiflora', var. 'elata'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Black Magic'
- 'Grandiflora'
- var. 'elata'
Larger flowers, leaves and fruit
- 'Autumn Magic'
- 'Autumn Magic', 'Black Magic', 'Grandiflora', var. 'elata'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Aronia
- Species:
- melanocarpa
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America, NC
- 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. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- 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)
- 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, 4b, 4a, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a
-
-
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:
- Shiny showy edible blackish-purple pome (though often referred to as a berry) 1/2" across. Fruits display from August to September.
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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:
- Tiny 0.3-in., 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
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 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.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible 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
