Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) has long been a favorite shrub. In autumn, its wine-red foliage makes a fine show. A shrub for all seasons, it also boasts white flowers in spring and showy, long-lasting, purple-black berries that remain on the plant most of the winter.
This shrub is adaptable and easy-to-grow. Black chokeberry is also a Midwest native. It thrives in full sun or partial shade, and in wet or dry soils. There has been a new demand for aronia berries because of their high antioxidant content that exceeds wonder crops like blueberries and elderberries.
Iowa State Extension Horticulture Specialist Dr. Eldon Everhart, is helping establish production and develop aronia markets. Dr. Everhart says the berries are not sour. The dry, puckering taste comes instead from high tannins. The trick, he said, is to freeze the berries before use to break down the tannins.
Everhart says a mature aronia shrub can produce a whopping 30 pounds of berries and you can harvest anytime September to November. There’s no need to worry about harvesting before frost, which won’t harm the berries.
A variety called Viking, which can grow about six to eight feet tall and wide, is recommended for its large, plentiful berries. If your space is limited, try compact Autumn Magic or dwarf Iroquois Beauty. All are self-pollinating, producing berries even if you have room for only a single plant.
ee/bmr
8/5/2009