FNPS Plant Database

Aronia arbutifolia

red chokeberry

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Nomenclature

Common Name:

red chokeberry

Synonym(s):

Photinia pyrifolia

Genus species:

Aronia arbutifolia

Family:

Rosaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

6-8(10) ft tall by to 3-5 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

deciduous; blooms in early spring

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.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Plant Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

-|---- |----|---- <----------------> --|----|----|----|----|----|-

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 (muck), Sand

Soil pH:

acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A, 9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Birds
Various birds eat the berries including titmice, nuthatches, warblers, chickadees, cardinals, grosbeaks, and orioles.
Bees, Butterflies, Pollinators
Flowers attract bees and butterflies. Pollinated by bees.

Native Habitats:

Wet sites. Seep slopes, wet flatwoods, edges of swamps.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Berries are theoretically edible, but do not taste good, hence the chokeberry name.

General Comments:

Often grows with inkberry and palmettos.

Citations:

Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida , Gainesville.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. 2010. Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf , accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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