Red chokeberry

What it is

Aronia arbutifolia is a member of the rose family. Its small red fruits measure about 0.6 to 0.8 cm (¼ to ⅓ in) across and crowd together along the branches. Each holds one to five seeds.

This is a different species from black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa. Red chokeberry’s glossy green summer leaves turn orange-red or purple in autumn, giving the shrub colour even before winter leaves its fruit exposed.

Where it comes from

The shrub is native to eastern Canada and the central and eastern United States. Its home includes bogs and dry woodland thickets. In Maryland it grows from the mountains through the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain. Garden plantings also use it for hedges, stream edges and rain gardens.

How it's eaten where it grows

In its eastern North American home, red chokeberry goes into jams and jellies. The raw berry brings bitterness as well as tartness, though it can be eaten raw and is sweeter than black chokeberry. Its abundant pectin, the substance that helps jelly set, gives a heavy, sweet, solid jelly.

How it's grown

The shrub usually reaches 1.8 to 3.7 m (6 to 12 ft), with several upright stems. New shoots grow near the base and gradually spread into a clump. In Maryland, white flowers usually open from March through May and attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Full sun brings the most flowers and fruit. The shrub handles wet ground, yet also tolerates drought once established.

When and where you'll find it

Fruit usually matures from September through November and can remain on the shrub into winter. In Maryland gardens, brilliant orange-red autumn leaves come first, then the berries carry on through fall and winter. Look for clusters of small, glossy red fruit along bare branches.