How to Grow and Care for Chokeberries

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is an extremely hardy flowering shrub full of antioxidants. Black chokeberry is used to make jellies jams, wine, and teas. Birds eat the fruit from this plant.

Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is a flowering, branching shrub species native to North America. Red chokeberry grows in eastern Canada, the eastern United States, and the central United States. This species produces berries, which many people think taste foul.

Red chokeberry 'Brilliantissima' is cultivated from Red chokeberry. Its name, 'Brilliantissima', refers to its brilliant red foliage and berries. It was cultivated to produce bigger berries in larger quantities, along with brighter foliage. Its size is another difference. As a more compact grower, red chokeberry 'Brilliantissima' is ideal as a garden plant.

Black chokeberry 'Viking' is a robust deciduous shrub known for its adaptability to a range of soil types, though it thrives best in well-drained, acidic substrates. It showcases clusters of delicate white to pale pink flowers in spring, which later develop into dense, dark purple berries. Its lustrous dark green foliage provides a striking backdrop, turning a vibrant red-purple in autumn.