Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Black chokeberry is a tough native shrub with white spring flowers, glossy black berries, and deep red fall color. It grows in wet or dry soil and spreads by suckers. The berries are edible but very tart.
At a Glance
| Plant type | Deciduous shrub |
|---|---|
| Family | Rose family (Rosaceae) |
| Other names | Aronia, aronia berry. Not the same plant as chokecherry. |
| Native range | Eastern North America, especially the northeastern United States and upper Midwest |
| Mature height | 3 to 8 feet, sometimes to 10 feet |
| Mature spread | 3 to 6 feet, wider as it suckers |
| Flowers | Small white five-petaled flowers, sometimes tinged pink, in small clusters. May to June. |
| Fruit or seed | Glossy purple-black berries about 1/2 inch across, ripe August to September. Edible but very astringent, so they're usually made into jam or jelly. Birds eat them in mid to late winter. |
| Foliage | Glossy dark green leaves 1 to 3 inches long. Fall color is deep red to burgundy. |
Growing Conditions
| USDA hardiness zones | 3 to 8 |
|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun to part shade. The best fruit comes in full sun. |
| Soil | Almost any soil, from clay to sand to rocky ground, including wet, boggy spots |
| Soil pH | Prefers acidic soil but grows in neutral to alkaline soil too |
| Water | Low to high. Handles wet soil and occasional flooding as well as occasional drought. |
| Tolerates | Wet soil, occasional flooding, drought, clay, road salt |
Will It Grow Here?
Yes, anywhere in our area. Black Chokeberry is hardy in zones 3 to 8, which covers every zone in our area (6b through 8a).
| Zone | Grows here? | Towns in this zone |
|---|---|---|
| 6b (our farm) | Yes | Lebanon, MO; Bolivar, MO; Iola, KS; Garnett, KS |
| 7a | Yes | Springfield, MO; Joplin, MO; Fayetteville, AR; Bentonville, AR |
| 7b | Yes | Harrison, AR; Tulsa, OK; Broken Arrow, OK; Tahlequah, OK |
| 8a | Yes | Van Buren, AR; Alma, AR |
Not sure which zone you're in? Look up your ZIP code on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (opens in a new tab).
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Missouri zone map (full size, opens in a new tab)
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Arkansas zone map (full size, opens in a new tab)
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Oklahoma zone map (full size, opens in a new tab)
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Kansas zone map (full size, opens in a new tab)
Official 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps. Tap a map to open it full size.
Maps: USDA Agricultural Research Service, with mapping by the PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University.
Plant Patent
Not patented. This is the straight species, not a named variety, so there are no restrictions on growing it from seed or cuttings.
About the Black Chokeberry
Black chokeberry is a native shrub of eastern North America. It has small white flowers in spring, glossy purple-black berries in late summer, and deep red leaves in fall. The berries are edible but very astringent. They’re usually cooked into jam or jelly.
Don’t confuse it with chokecherry, which is a different plant.
Choosing a Spot
- Sun for fruit. It grows in full sun or part shade, but bears the most fruit in full sun.
- Wet or dry. It’s good for low, wet spots and handles occasional flooding as well as occasional drought.
- Room to spread. It suckers freely and forms a colony over time. Space plants 3 to 6 feet apart for a hedge or mass planting.
Planting
- Dig wide, not deep. Make the hole at least 1 1/2 to 2 times as wide as the root ball and only as deep. In poorly drained or compacted soil, make it 3 to 4 times as wide and not quite as deep.
- Set the top of the root ball even with the surrounding soil or slightly above. Planting even 3 inches too deep lets water collect around the roots.
- Slice circling roots. If roots circle the outside of the root ball, make three or four cuts an inch or two deep from top to bottom.
- Backfill with the soil you dug out. Amendments usually aren’t needed.
- Skip fertilizer at planting, and water right away.
Watering
New plants establish fastest with light, frequent watering. In summer a new shrub may need water several times a week. Overwatering kills as easily as drought, so feel the soil before you water. Once established, black chokeberry handles both wet and dry spells.
Mulch and Fertilizer
Spread organic mulch no more than 3 inches deep after it settles, and keep it off the stems. Fertilize only if a soil test calls for it.
Pruning
Prune right after it flowers in spring. Cut out suckers to keep it to the size you want.
Common Problems
Black chokeberry has no serious insect or disease problems. The main issue is spread: it suckers freely, so plan to pull or cut suckers if you want it to stay put.
Good for Wildlife
Birds eat the berries, usually in mid to late winter. It also attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Harvest
The berries ripen in August and September. They’re edible raw but very astringent, so most people cook them into jam or jelly.
Availability
Currently out of stock until Spring 2027.
Our nursery stock changes through the season. Contact us to check what we have on hand, current sizes, and pricing.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these public references:
- Aronia melanocarpa (North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox) (opens in a new tab)
- Black Chokeberry (The Morton Arboretum) (opens in a new tab)
- Planting a Tree or a Shrub, FSA-6128 (University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension) (opens in a new tab)
Disclaimer: The information on this page is based on publicly available knowledge and research. Individual results may vary.