MichiganGardener.com | April 2015 | Michigan Gardener
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Chokeberry Botanical name: Plant type: Plant size: Habit: Hardiness: Growth rate: Flowers: Bloom period: Leaves: Light: Soil: Water: Uses: Remarks:
Red: Aronia arbutifolia (uh-ROH-nee-uh ar-bew-tih-FOH-lee-uh) Black: Aronia melanocarpa (uh-ROH-nee-uh mel-an-oh-CAR-puh) Deciduous shrub Red: 6 to 12 feet tall; Black: 3 to 9 feet tall Loosely branched, upright, somewhat leggy, open, and natural. The black chokeberry suckers heavily, but is not invasive. Zone 3 or 4 Slowly upright; side suckers grow at a faster rate Small, white, 5-petal clusters May 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches long, 1/2 to 3/4 inches wide; glossy green on top; underneath, the black is glossy, while the red is fuzzy Full sun to partial shade Average garden loam, very adaptable Drought tolerant, will tolerate wet soils as well Plantings for wet areas, natural settings, informal hedges; ideal for outdoor planters Underused ornamental shrubs; both red and black should be more widely planted for their flowers, fruits and foliage color; edible fruit crop in the black, which may be future source for beneficial human health and medical cures.
Jim Slezinski
Depending on the weather, fall foliage can be shades of scarlet or have salmon tones.
Spring Meadow Nursery
Chokeberry’s amazing foliage is evident on ‘Brilliantissima’ as its deep green leaves transition over to brilliant reds. Additionally, ‘Morton’ is a black cultivar introduced by the Morton Arboretum in Illinois. Later trademarked as Iroquois Beauty, this selection is more compact than the species. All other ornamental features of the black complete this desirable shrub.
Using the fruits
Jim Slezinski
Beautiful fall chokeberry color echoes with the oakleaf hydrangea in the foreground.
Several other varieties of black chokeberry have been selected primarily for their “orchard fruit” qualities as well. Europeans and Canadians have long grown and experimented with the black chokeberries for their fruiting
productivity and use for agricultural crops. Science has uncovered the fact that blackpigmented fruit skin and pulp contain dense concentrations of beneficial chemicals for human health (iron, polyphenols, anthocyanins, etc.). Ongoing research continues on these black fruits for possibly lowering blood cholesterol and hypertension, as well as reducing gastric, liver and eye maladies as well as several cancers. Juice from the berries is currently used as a flavoring and coloring agent in jams, jellies, beverages and yogurt. Lithuania produces a chokeberry wine, while in Poland dried berries are blended into herbal teas and baked into a soft bread. Berries can be used like elderberries in making jelly. A German-selected cultivar, ‘Nero,’ is touted as a healthful and large-fruited shrub. This variety is listed as winter hardy to -35 degrees F. ‘Viking’ was also developed in Europe and is considered an edible ornamental, adding to the list of black varieties. ‘Nero’ and ‘Viking’ exhibit all other ornamental traits of the species.
How to grow chokeberries Chokeberry shrubs are undemanding and grow easily in ordinary, loam garden soil. Adaptable to heavy, wet soils (as long as they are improved with some soil amendments initially), they can be planted bare root or from containers. Aronias can provide the “shrub” element in rain gardens, being drought tolerant as well. Sunny sites are ideal for the best flowering, fruiting and autumn foliage color. continued on next page