Aronia arbutifolia is a deciduous shrub known for shiny green summer and red autumn foliage. Red Chokeberry has colorful, pendulous fruits, is very adaptable to moist/wet sites, and is appropriate for naturalizing and for attracting wildlife.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-small shrub; to 8' tall x 4' wide
-multi-stemmed and spreading due to suckering
-upright columnar when young, becoming arching vase-shaped with age
-medium growth rate |
Foliage
-dark green; deciduous
-alternate arrangement; obovate; finely serrated; shiny and glabrous above
-autumn color - green to orange to wine-red, with all three colors on the same shrub at the same time; Oct.; autumn color can be spectacular |
Flowers
-white; May; 1" diameter inflorescences; attractive but not overwhelming |
Fruit
-small red fruits in pendulous clusters; dazzling
Oct. and winter persistent
-common name comes from bitter taste of the fruits |
Twig
-brown-red; with striking bright red conical buds partially curling around the stem; lateral buds the same size as terminal buds; stems numerous and upright |
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Trunk
-not applicable |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to partial shade
-tolerant of poor soils and moisture (wet or dry) but prefers rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acid soil
-takes well to pruning
-generally stress tolerant
-abundantly available in B&B or container |
Hardiness
-zones 3 to 9
Origin
-native to Eastern North America, Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Michigan
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-wet site tolerant
-red, persistent fruits
Liabilities
-suckering can be either desired or detrimental |
Function
-mass plantings, borders, informal hedges, or low screens
Texture
-fine texture in foliage and when bare
-thick density in foliage and when bare (when young), but open density in foliage and when bare (when mature, due to arching habit) |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-good-foliaged small shrubs with erect to arching multi-stemmed habit
-small shrubs with attractive and sometimes persistent fruits (Amelanchier, Viburnum trilobum) |