Aronia (Chokeberry)

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Aronia is a genus of perennial deciduous shrubs, the chokeberries, in the family
Rosaceae most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. This superfruit is grown for its beauty as
an ornamental with deep green foliage as backdrop for its pretty white flowers in the spring, and with
the contrast of its deep purple berries nestled into its red-orange leaves in the fall.

Introduction

Description

Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:

They are suitable to plant in Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. The aronia berry bush is a hardy and easy-to-grow plant. It has only few special requirements. Begin with a high quality bush from a reputable nursery or grower. There are several online growers that specialize in aronia bushes. Your plant should be about two years old for a successful transplant. Here in the U.S., aronia is grown in favor for its nutritional value.

Optimal Soil Conditions:

Choose a sunny location, while a partially shady location will work too, you will enjoy a higher yield of berries in fuller sun. This bush is not finicky about soil. You can plant your aronia berries in most soil conditions, from moist and boggy soil to dry and sandy soil. Black chokeberries are grown in drylands; on the other hand, red berries are grown in a wetland. A reported optimum pH is slightly acid (6-6.5), but aronia will tolerate a wider pH range (5-8.5).

Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:

Can plant in spring or Autumn. The more sunshine, the more naturally occuring sugars will be in the berries. They will be less sour, and tastier. Some are grown in rows and some as hedges. People limited in spacing can grow them in pots on a balcony or porch.

Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:

Dwarf birch, grass pink orchid, cinnamon, royal ferns, snowberry, beauty berry, redbud, dogwood, grape holly are companions with Red Chokeberry Dwarf birch, grass pink orchid, cinnamon and royal ferns, steeple bush, speckled alder, marsh milkweed, wild strawberry, quaking aspen, wild raspberry, and grass-leaved and swamp goldenrods are companions to Black Chokeberry. Hindered by Pine trees may be a myth.

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

Moisture Requirements & Solutions:

This resilient bush can withstand wet winters and dry summers. For the first couple years though, try to keep the moisture consistent. Water once or twice a week to provide an approximate inch of water a week to the plant. Once the plant is mature, it will require less water and will be more adaptable to whatever moisture Mother Nature provides.

Weeding Needs & Solutions:

The plants do not need trellising, spraying or bird netting. Mowing the grass planted between the rows is the only task, other than harvesting the berries, that needs to be done. Aronia is easy to grow organically.

Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:

Although it isn’t picky, nutrients will increase its health, so add some compost to your soil as you plant this bush.

Pests, Diseases & Solutions:

Aronia berry bushes are not prone to disease or to pests. They will rarely develop leaf spot or rust. (Have a reputation as immune). Both of these are fungal type infections and are cosmetic in nature. They can be avoided if you water your aronia berry bush at the ground level rather than drenching the foliage with water. Plenty of elbow room will allow good airflow around the leaves, too, which will help prevent disease or damage.

When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:

You can expect these highly sustainable berries around its third year. Harvest your aronia berries in autumn when they taste ripe (Sept. to Oct.) You can even wait until after a light freeze. Late in its dormant season, prune some of the older branches of your bush down to the ground to promote a new growth and a bushier form.

How to Harvest:

The round, pea-sized (1/3 inch diameter), violet-black berries hang in clusters of up to 12 berries. Berries are harvested after they are ripe in late August or early September. Aronia berries can be harvested by hand or they can be mechanically harvested with a blueberry picker.

Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:

Can be flash frozen and stored in your freezer for up to a year. They are also a tangy burst of flavor when dried and added to a trail mix. The red chokeberries are edible but required to be mixed with a large amount of sugar for a good taste. On the other hand, black chokeberries are very useful to make other things that most people eat on routine days, jam, jelly, and juices. You can put them in a refrigerator. It will help you to store it for a longer time. But there is no reason required to keep it in a plastic bag. Take a plate or a bowl and put chokeberries in it and keep it in a refrigerator. It will last for a longer time than usual. After one week, you can put all the berries in a plastic bag or containers and store them in a freezer and can easily be used for the next two years.

Optimal Preserving Procedures:

Seed Saving:

You can get new Aronia plants by slicing off the suckers and planting them in new locations.

Harvest and Storage

Notes

Varieties to try – ‘Viking’ (and Nero) is a Russian cultivar that has recently been introduced back into the U.S. It is used commercially for its large, high- quality berries. It is a 6-8 foot tall bush that produces a large amount of berries. ‘Autumn Magic’ (and ‘Iraqis Beauty) is an ornamental that grows to about 4 feet in height. It blooms out in white flowers in late spring and explodes into autumn colors of red and orange late into the fall season. Its berries are dark purple. Research has shown that aronia has more antioxidant power than other fruits including grapes, elderberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, prunes, cherries, bananas, oranges, apples and pears. Aronia also makes good wildlife plantings or windbreaks. Its berries provide food for songbirds in mid to late-winter.

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