Simcoe County Master Gardeners
Grow Natives!
PLANT PROFILE
COMMON NAME: Black Chokeberry
BINOMIAL: Aronia melanocarpa
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Cdn Native Range | NFLD to Ontario |
| Natural habitat | dry soils; moist thickets to a bog swamp habitat |
| Type | deciduous woody shrub |
| Features | showy flowers and berries against the green ornamental foliage with a deep red fall colour |
| Growth habit | multi-stemmed; tall; can spread aggressively; spreads by root |
| Mature height | 1–2 m (4–6 ft) |
| Mature spread | as above |
| Life span | unknown |
| Cdn Hardiness Zone | 3–8 |
| Growing conditions | full sun/part shade |
| Soil conditions | tolerates a range of conditions from acidic boggy habitat to sandy dunes |
| Watering needs | no supplemental watering usually needed |
| Fertilizer needs | no special requirements |
| Tolerance | drought, salt, deer browsing, soil compaction |
| Maintenance rank | low |
| Maintenance needs | little maintenance needed other than some pruning for personal preference; remove suckers if desired |
| Bloom | mid-May, white small cluster flowers |
| Fruit | deep purple berries edible sour taste; high in antioxidants |
| Pollinator support | larval host for coral hairstreak butterfly and some moth species |
| Environmental support | provides food for varied wildlife deer rabbits and grouse |
| Garden Use | wet areas, hedges, slopes |
| Risks & Cautions | aggressive spread by suckering; fruit drop; may attract deer and other browsers |
References: Ontario Trees, www.ontariotrees.com; Plants for a Future, https//pfaf.org; Go Botany, Native Plant Trust, https/gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org
Photo Credits:
Black Chokeberry – flowers (credit: Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Black Chokeberry – fall foliage (credit: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Black Chokeberry – fruit (credit: Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0)
