Thicket/ Black Chokeberry

COMMON NAME: Black Chokeberry

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): Chokeberry

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aronia melanocarpa

FAMILY: Rosaceae

COMMUNITY: Thicket (wetland and dry)

STATUS: Native

LIFESPAN: Perennial

HEIGHT: to 5 feet

FLOWERING TIME: Late April to June

FRUITING TIME: July to October

DISTRIBUTION: Newfoundland to Alabama, west to Iowa

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Deciduous shrub ~ Leaves 1 to 3 inches long, obovate, finely serrated, glossy green above and lighter below, fall color from red to purple-black ~ Flowers white, 10-20 per cluster, about 1/2 inch long ~ Fruit, pea size, glossy black ripen in early fall

GENERAL INFORMATION: This family (Rosaceae) commonly called the Rose Family consists of 2000 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs worldwide;  approximately 77 native and 9 naturalized tree species in North America. Members of this family include serviceberries, hawthorns, apples, plums, cherries and mountain-ashes. This species (melanocarpa) is named for the color of the fruit (melano: black; carpa: fruit).  The fruit is grown commercially in Europe and processed into juice.  Aronia juice from fruit grown in Poland is available in the US as Aronia Berry Juice Cocktail, Aronia Berry, Inc., San Francisco, CA.  The wild fruit in the U.S. has too many seed and little pulp to eat.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.