Wildlife
- Feeds birds
- Pollinators
Small native bees pollinate the flowers, and the berries hang on into winter as food for birds.
Ships bare root
Native
Mature plant shown. Yours ships dormant and bare root.
What arrives
1 dormant bare-root plant, about 18–24 in tall
- No leaves, no pot, no soil. Roots packed moist.
- Ships in your zone's planting window.
- Leafs out about 4–8 weeks after planting.
Native shrub · edible
Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
- Ships 18–24 in tall
- 1 plant, bare root
- Zones 3–8
- Grows 3–6 ft
$11.95Was $14.95Save 20%
3.0 out of 5 · 2 reviewsThe quick answer
Black chokeberry (aronia) is a native fruiting shrub for USDA zones 3-8 that grows 3-6 ft tall and wide in full sun to part shade. It is grown for antioxidant-rich purple-black berries used in juice, jam and syrup, plus brilliant red fall color. It is self-fertile and usually fruits within 2-3 years.
Size
height when shippedWhen it ships to you
Zone scheduleHow many?
plants
Free shipping on orders $75+$75
Healthy deliveryOr we replace it
Shipped dormantTimed to your zone
1-year warrantyStore credit, terms
Black Chokeberry plant profile
Mature size3–6 ft tall · 3–6 ft wide
Typical (3 ft)Up to 6 ft
Upright, multi-stemmed shrub that spreads by suckers.
USDA hardiness zones3–8
Sun & growth
SlowMediumFast
Best fruiting in full sun; tolerates part shade. Fruit in about 2–3 years.
SoilpH 5.0–7.0
4 acidic6.59 alkaline
Adapts to sandy or clay soil, wet to dry, and tolerates salt and compaction.
Native to the USEdible harvestRed, orange and purple fall colorHedge & screen
Flowers & fruit
- Fruit in 2–3 yrs
- Edible
White flower clusters in spring are followed by purple-black berries that ripen in late summer and can stay on into winter.
Leaves & fall color
Red, orange and purple in fall. Glossy dark green leaves turn brilliant red, orange and purple in fall.
Pests & disease
Few serious problems; leaf spot can occur, and deer and rabbits browse it.
Pruning
Prune in late winter to remove the oldest stems and unwanted suckers.
Bare root vs potted
Skip the garden-center markup.
Garden centers buy young plants, pot them, grow them another season and mark them up. We ship yours dormant and bare root, timed to your planting window.
Bare root, from us$11.95ships dormant
Example: 3-gal potted American hazelnut$70–$140online retail prices checked Oct 2026
A year with your Black Chokeberry
SPRINGWhite flower clusters
SUMMERGlossy dark green leaves; green berries
LATE SUMMERBerries ripen purple-black
FALLBrilliant red, orange and purple leaves; berries persist
Questions people ask about Black Chokeberry
Do I need two aronia bushes for berries?
No. Aronia is self-fertile, though planting several near each other can improve pollination.
Can you eat aronia berries raw?
They are safe but very astringent raw, so most people use them in juice, jam, syrup, baking or wine.
Is black chokeberry the same as chokecherry?
No. Black chokeberry (Aronia) is a small shrub in a different genus from chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), a suckering tree.
Will aronia grow in wet or clay soil?
Yes. It tolerates wet to dry, sandy or clay soils as well as salt and compaction.
What size aronia will I receive?
You receive a dormant bare-root shrub; check the size option you chose (currently 18-24 inches is in stock).
Plant it in 4 steps
- Soak the roots in cold water overnight before planting.
- Dig twice as wide as the roots; plant at the depth it grew.
- Water, then mulch. No fertilizer the first season.
- Water regularly until it's established.
Customer Reviews
Based on 2 reviews
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K
The plant was fine, but ordering from the company was very confusing as apparently they operate under several different names. I ended up with three orders and I’m not really sure how many I was charged for.
R
Plant arrive as part of a larger order of 15 or so different varieties of fruit trees/bushes. All arrived as promised and looked healthy with nice roots. Very pleased with everything so far as 11 of 15 are already showing new leaves. We are in zone 7a, so early spring conditions.
Plant facts checked October 2026 against: University of Minnesota, https://dnr.state.md.us/forests/Documents/Agroforestry_Pollination-Propagation-Pruning.pdf.