Aronia arbutifolia
Red Chokeberry
Rosaceae
Also known as Photinia pyrifolia
Plant Specifics
Form: | Flower | |
Size: | 6-12 ft tall by to 4 ft wide | |
Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
Flower Color: | White | |
Fruit Color: | Red | |
Phenology: | Deciduous | |
Noted for: | Interesting bark, Fall color, Showy flowers, Showy fruits |
Landscaping
Recommended Uses: | Beautiful early spring-blooming shrub. Grow at edge of wooded areas or as a specimen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Propagation: | Seed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Availability: | Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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(Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soil or other substrate: | Clay, Loam, Organic material (muck), Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soil pH: | Acidic |
Ecology
Wildlife: |
Various birds eat the berries including titmice, nuthatches, warblers, chickadees, cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles. | |
Insects: | Flowers attract bees and butterflies. Pollinated by bees. | |
Native Habitats: | Wet sites. Seep slopes, wet flatwoods, edges of swamps. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
8A 8B 9A 9B

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
Ethnobotany: | Berries are edible, but do not taste good, hence the chokeberry name. | |
General Comments: | Often grows with ink berry and palmettos. |