Aronia melanocarpa
Black Chokeberry
Native Range
Kentucky Native —
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Aronia melanocarpa // Black Chokeberry ("straight species")
Shrub.
Bed 95Aronia melanocarpa 'Viking' // Viking Black Chokeberry
Shrub. Grows to 3-6' high and 5-6' wide. Large clusters of white flowers in May. Lustrous black fruits, resembling large black currants, with very high vitamin C content, are present from fall through spring. The name "chokeberry" comes from the astringency of the fruits, which are inedible when raw. A good, low maintenance plant. Glossy dark green leaves. Incredible hues of red, purple, and orange in the fall. Transplants well, prefers well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay soils with a pH of acidic to slightly alkaline. Will tolerate some drought and will grow in dry soils. Chokeberries are understory and woodland edge plants, used in Europe as an orchard plant.
Bed 184