Aronia ×prunifolia (Marshall) Rehder (pro sp.) Adenorachis atropurpurea (Britton) Nieuwl. Aronia floribunda (Lindl.) Spach nom. illeg. Aronia floribunda (Lindl.) Sweet Mespilus prunifolia Marshall Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Pers. var. atropurpurea (Britton) Seymour Aronia atropurpurea Britton Photinia floribunda (Lindl.) K.R. Robertson & Phipps Pyrus arbutifolia (L.) L. f. var. atropurpurea (Britton) B.L. Rob. Pyrus floribunda Lindl. Sorbus arbutifolia (L.) Heynh. var. atropurpurea (Britton) C.K. Schneid. Aronia floribunda (Lindl.) Spach Aronia prunifolia (Marsh.) Rehder Red chokeberry
Wild chokeberries like the red chokeberry are native to eastern North America. Identification: These reach up to 8' (2.4 m) in height, with a spread of about 4' (1.2 m). They are composed of many thin, flexible stems and assume a tall, thin overall shape. Leaves are alternate, obovate, 1½-3½" (3.8-8.9 cm) × ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm), shiny on top, finely hairy and grayish green below, with fine serrations. In the fall, leaves are reddish purple or bright red. Blooms are white, sometimes pinkish, with five petals, about ¼" (6.3 mm) around, and fragrant. Berries are bright red and fairly hard, about ⅜" (9.5 mm), like tiny apples. Berries are about ¼" (6.3 mm) around, in clusters, and last well into winter. Don’t confuse chokeberries and chokecherries. |
Parking lot · 9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts 9/3/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts 10/18/2008 · Kimball’s Ice Cream, Westford, Massachusetts |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’ |
Prunus virginiana |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Name | ![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plant | 6-15' (1.8-4.6 m) high | A large shrub or small tree up to 18' (5.5 m) high | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | Bunches (“racemes”) of 15-30 white flowers, each about ½" (1.3 cm) in size | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Leaves turn deep ruby red in fall. | Fine serrations, dark above and pale green underneath | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Red, about ¼-⅜" (6.3-9.5 mm) in diameter, very sour | Bright red to dark red or black, ¼-⅝" (6.3-15 mm) in diameter, extremely sour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Habitats | Moist woods; stream banks; prairie hillsides; fence rows; rocky bluffs; roadsides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Cultivar | Wild |
Edibility: The berries are not poisonous, but they are so tart that they cause choking. Cooked and sweetened, they find their way into jams, syrups, tea, and wine. Native North Americans used these fruits in pemmican.
Online References:
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) on
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) on plants.ces.ncsu.edu
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) at the University of Connecticut Plant Database
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) at the Missouri Botanical Garden
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
9/3/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm) ID is uncertain
10/18/2008 · Kimball’s Ice Cream, Westford, Massachusetts
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm) ID is uncertain
9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm) ID is uncertain
9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm) ID is uncertain
Aronia ×prunifolia (pro sp.) description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
10/4/2008
≈ 13 × 9" (33 × 22 cm) ID is uncertain
9/3/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm) ID is uncertain
9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm) ID is uncertain
Parking lot · 9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm) ID is uncertain
Range: