PlantsFruits & Berries
Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.
Edible hedge; flowers, fruit, fall color
EasyFruits & BerriesAlso Shrubs & VinesAlso Rain GardenEdibleRain garden
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Medium–moist
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft
- Spacing
- 3–6 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Flowers May; fruit Aug–Oct
- How it spreads
- Moderate suckering
- What to buy
- Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
- When to plant
- Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.
In the design
Fruit production is best in sun.
If you eat it
Astringent berries best cooked, juiced, or preserved
Do not confuse with unrelated ornamental berries
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
