Black Chokeberry, Photinia melanocarpa Michx., Minnesota Native Wildflowers, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Black Chokeberry is a native deciduous shrub growing from 3 to 12 feet high. In the spring it has clusters of 5-parted white showy flowers, with pink anthers. Clusters, appearing on new growth, will be 2 to 2-1/2" wide. Fruit matures in the autumn to a juicy purplish-black berry, (a pome) about 1/4 to 1/3" diameter, that once ripe, begins to shrivel. Each pome contains 1 to 5 seeds. Seeds and juice are deep purple. Leaves are alternate, ovate-lanceolate shape with a short stalk, fine toothed edge, hairless, medium green color which turns a dark glossy green in the Autumn before finally turning red. Leaves are slightly smaller than the Red Chokeberry. Fruit drops from the plant but a number of pomes will overwinter as they are not the most palatable to wildlife except birds. Deer however, will browse the plants. The berries are very astringent and most people cannot eat them raw. Humans can use the fruit for canning and jelly making. When cooked, Chokeberries make a heavy, sweet, solid jelly. They have an abundance of pectin and should self-set. The antioxidant qualities of Chokeberry make them very beneficial for the human diet. Black Chokeberry grows best in full sun on moist well drained sites. It is tolerant of some shade. Several cultivars are available in the nursery trade, some of which are from European stock. Current USDA listings put this plant in the genus Photinia although many references will insist it be in Aronia.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Black Chokeberry	Photinia melanocarpa Michx. formerly Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott	Rose (Rosaceae)	Woodland	Spring - May flowering, fruiting in September
Other names and notes	Black Chokeberry is a native deciduous shrub growing from 3 to 12 feet high. In the spring it has clusters of 5-parted white showy flowers, with pink anthers. Clusters, appearing on new growth, will be 2 to 2-1/2" wide. Fruit matures in the autumn to a juicy purplish-black berry, (a pome) about 1/4 to 1/3" diameter, that once ripe, begins to shrivel. Each pome contains 1 to 5 seeds. Seeds and juice are deep purple. Leaves are alternate, ovate-lanceolate shape with a short stalk, fine toothed edge, hairless, medium green color which turns a dark glossy green in the Autumn before finally turning red. Leaves are slightly smaller than the Red Chokeberry. Fruit drops from the plant but a number of pomes will overwinter as they are not the most palatable to wildlife except birds. Deer however, will browse the plants. The berries are very astringent and most people cannot eat them raw. Humans can use the fruit for canning and jelly making. When cooked, Chokeberries make a heavy, sweet, solid jelly. They have an abundance of pectin and should self-set. The antioxidant qualities of Chokeberry make them very beneficial for the human diet. Black Chokeberry grows best in full sun on moist well drained sites. It is tolerant of some shade. Several cultivars are available in the nursery trade, some of which are from European stock. Current USDA listings put this plant in the genus Photinia although many references will insist it be in Aronia.