Aronia arbutifolia
Red Chokeberry
Aronia (uh-RO-nee-uh) – from the Greek name for the whitebeam plant, whose fruits resemble chokeberry
arbutifolia (ar-byoo-tih-FO-lee-uh) – having leaves like the Arbutus
OTHER NAMES / SYNONYMS
Pyrus arbutifolis, Photinia arbutifolia
Eastern North America
Red Chokeberry is a deciduous perennial shrub that averages 6 to 10 feet in height with a 4 to 6 foot spread. It is multi-stemmed and upright to columnar when young aging to vase-like in shape. It has a slow to moderate growth rate.
Leaves are deciduous, elliptic to oblong in shape, alternate in arrangement, simple with finely serrate margins, 2 ½ to 3 ½ inches long, glossy dark green above and fuzzy grayish green below. Fall colors are orange to bright red.
The flowers are about 1/2 inch across, fragrant, 5-petaled, white to light pink in color with reddish anthers, and are borne in 1 to 2 inch diameter cymes clustered at twig ends. It blooms in the spring.
Fruit are red, glossy, berry-like pomes, about 1/4 inch in diameter, and are borne in clusters at twig ends along the stems. Fruit is seen in late summer, but doesn't fully mature until winter, thus providing winter color. Technically, the fruit is edible, but it is so tart or bitter that it makes one want to choke (thus its common name). Birds will eat the fruit, but not until it matures in winter.
It is hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 9.
Full sun/part shade; best fruiting comes in full sun
Moderate Soil Salt Water Tolerance – it will tolerate brief intrusions of brackish water and rare flooding of salt water
It prefers a fertile, moist soil, in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.5, but it will grow on other well-drained soils. It will even tolerate boggy soils.
It has moderate to good drought tolerance once established. When it begins to wilt, it is best to provide it with water for the best growth and fruiting.
Seeds – some cold stratification may be necessary to break seed dormancy; softwood tip cuttings
Prune in late winter after fruiting and before new growth in spring. It takes well to pruning. It can become somewhat leggy when it gets older if not trimmed. To keep too large a colony from forming, stay ahead in removal of suckers.
It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work. It has relatively low nutritional needs.
Southern Red Mite - University of Florida
Saddleback Caterpillar - University of Florida
Citrus Longhorned Beetle - University of Florida
Entomosporium Leaf Spot - Alabama Cooperative Extension
Twig Blight
Seldom severely damaged
Good butterfly plant
Mass planting as border shrub of woodlands, natural areas, restoration areas, mixed plantings, specimen plant, pond banks
California Poison Control gives Aronia spp. a listing of: Non-Toxic
A search of ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this plant on any of their lists.