Black Chokeberry, Black Berried Aronia
Aronia melanocarpa
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Oval.
Aronia melanocarpa is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2.5 m (8ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from October to December. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 2.5
Where it is found
Swamps and low woodlands, it is sometimes also found in drier soils.
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Ontario, south to Florida and Michigan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Europe, Germany, North America*, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, Tasmania, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - cooked. A good flavour but very astringent. The fruit should be fully ripe before being eaten and is best after a frost or two. It makes a good jelly when sugar is added and is also dried and used for making pemmican. The fruit is rich in pectin and can be added to fruits that are low in this substance when making jams etc. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation. The fruit is about 9mm in diameter.
Pectin: a substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.
Medicine
Rating: 1
An infusion of the berries has been used in the treatment of colds.
Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
Other
Rating: 2
The fruit is a source of pectin, a substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.
Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
Pectin: A substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Screen, Specimen. Prefers a moist peaty soil in full sun or partial shade. Succeeds in most soils but dislikes shallow chalk. More tolerant of dry soils than other members of this genus. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. There is at least one cultivar developed for its improved fruit. 'Nero' has fruits twice the size of the species with a vitamin C content of 15 - 30 mg (per 100g?). The fruit is borne in clusters of about 15, it is more flavourful and the yield is about twice that of wild forms. Other cultivars developed mainly for their ornamental value include 'Viking' with extra large berries and 'Aron' with numerous large berries. The sub-species A. melanocarpa elata Rehd. and A. melanocarpa grandifolia (Lindl.)Schneid. are more vigorous than the type species with larger flowers and fruits. This genus is closely related to Sorbus species. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features: Attracts birds, North American native, Naturalizing, Wetlands plant, Attractive flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A clumping plant, forming a colony from shoots away from the crown but with a limited spread. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots forming a plate near the soil surface. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed overnight and then cold stratify for 3 months at 2°c. The seed germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Very easy, they can be planted straight out into their permanent positions. Layering.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 3-8
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist