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. |