Aronia

(Aronia melanocarpa)

Aronia is a native, medium size shrub growing 5-8' tall and about as wide. It is relatively quick to bear (2-3 years) and produces berries that are edible and highly nutritious, but in most cases taste fairly astringent. Leaving the berries on the bush until after the first frost seems to help sweeten the flavor of fruit. While some folks eat the berries fresh, they are typically consumed after processing into juice, preserves, wines or even hot sauces. Aronia also offers nearly year round ornamental value providing scented, white blossoms in spring, deep green foliage along with rich, dark berries in the summer and stunning red fall color. These wonderful plants also have a great deal of wildlife value as the blossoms attract and feed pollinators and beneficial insects and the berries will persist into winter and offer a valuable food source for birds and mammals alike. Aronia prefers full sun, is not fussy about soil types and will tolerate fairly wet soil and clay. Generally free from pests and disease. While it is self fertile, growing another seedling nearby will help to increase fruit yield. These are one year seedlings 8-10" tall. Extremely cold hardy down to zone 3.