Description
Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) grows best in fertile, moist, well-drained soils. It can grow in dry sandy soils once established and does well in clay soils. Red Chokeberry will grow in half shade or in full sun, but for best berry production full sun is best. This is a North American native found naturally in wetter areas, thickets, and swamps. It is useful in mass plantings, has a moderate growth rate, and is very hardy and easy to care for. The red chokeberry has a distinct upright appearance with multiple stems and tends to get a bit leggy, which can be handled with a set of pruning shears on a nice Saturday afternoon.
The leaves are 2-4″ long, elliptical, obovate, with small serrated edges. They are very deep green above and somewhat greyish underneath. The fall color is an attractive reddish purple. The flowers are white to slightly reddish, 1-2″ in diameter, flowering from April to May, south to north. The fruit is a delightful bright red. The berries are about 1/4″ in diameter, in the fall persisting through the winter in profusion. The fruit is very astringent and bitter, hence chokeberry. The winter buds are 1/4″ to 1/2″ long and red to green in color. The stems of the red chokeberry are of medium thickness and brown with no thorns. The red chokeberry has no major pests but can harbor round headed apple borer and leaf spot. Red chokeberry is native to the eastern US but will grow from mid-Maine through northern Illinois to Washington state and south to Orlando, Florida.
Chokeberry is a prized landscape addition as it’s bright red berries attract wildlife. Chokeberry makes an ideal shrub for natural areas. It transplants well and has a moderate growth rate. The main cultivar is ‘Brilliantissima’ noted for more abundant fruit and brilliant fall color. ‘Erecta’ is another cultivar. The red chokeberry has been suggested as an alternative to Euonymus alatus (burning bush) though I find it nearly impossible to surpass the brilliant red fall color of the burning bush.
