Plant Details

Aronia melanocarpa

Black Chokeberry

Back

Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Aronia melanocarpa.

Use this plant

Log in to add this plant to your recipes.

Log in

Common names

35 names · 23 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (22)
Dutch
  • Zwarte appelbes[2]
French
  • Aronia à fruits noirs[2]
  • Aronie noire[2]
  • Gueule noire[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Alabama
Belarusian
  • Аронія чарнаплодная[2]
  • Чарнаплодная рабіна[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 不老莓[2]
  • 黑果​腺‎肋花‎楸[2]
  • 黑涩石楠[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 不老莓[2]
  • 野櫻梅[2]
  • 黑果​腺‎肋花‎楸[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • 黑澀石楠[2]
Croatian
  • Crnoplodna aronija[2]
Czech
  • temnoplodec černoplodý[2]
Danish
  • Sortfrugtet surbær[2]
Estonian
  • tume aroonia[2]
Finnish
  • musta-aronia[2]
German
  • Kahle Apfelbeere[1]
  • Schwarze Apfelbeere[2]
Hungarian
  • Fekete Törpeberkenye[2]
Korean
  • 아로니아[2]
Lithuanian
  • Juodavaisė aronija[2]
Norwegian
  • svartsurbær[2]
Polish
  • Aronia czarna[2]
Russian
  • Арония черноплодная[2]
  • Черноплодная рябина[2]
Slovak
  • arónia čiernoplodá[2]
Spanish
Swedish
  • svart aronia[2]
  • svartaronia[2]
Turkish
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Black chokeberry (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 171831; taxon GTSZ.
  • Kahle Apfelbeere (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 171832; taxon GTSZ.
[2] Aronia melanocarpa — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • black chokeberry — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Арония черноплодная — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Черноплодная рябина — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Чарнаплодная рабіна — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Аронія чарнаплодная — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Aronie noire — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Aronia à fruits noirs — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Gueule noire — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Photinia — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • temnoplodec černoplodý — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Sortfrugtet surbær — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • svartsurbær — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 아로니아 — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • musta-aronia — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Juodavaisė aronija — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Aronia czarna — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Aronia — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • svartaronia — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • svart aronia — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • tume aroonia — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Schwarze Apfelbeere — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Okòoɬa — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Crnoplodna aronija — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 黑果​腺‎肋花‎楸 — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 黑果​腺‎肋花‎楸 — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 野櫻梅 — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 黑涩石楠 — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 不老莓 — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 不老莓 — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • 黑澀石楠 — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Zwarte appelbes — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Fekete Törpeberkenye — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • arónia čiernoplodá — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.
  • Aronya — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 128798; Aronia melanocarpa.

General information

Scientific name: Aronia melanocarpa
Accepted name (Kew): Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Rosaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Aronia (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Black Chokeberry
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.91–3.05 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 0.91–1.83 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Erect, Multi-stemmed, Multi-trunked, Open, Rounded, Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Dry, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit, Pectin
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Pectin

Description

Fruits: cooked. The fruits have a delicious but sharp taste. The berries should be fully ripe before consumption and are best after frost. They make excellent jelly. They can also be dried and utilized in pemmican making. Rich in pectin, they are great for jam production. These fruits have a diameter of approximately 9mm.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/08
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 838120; name ID 2942273; Aronia Medik.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1433624; name ID 2942327; Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Aronia melanocarpa

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 4851993, ID GTSZ: Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Aronia melanocarpa — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadFoliageGrowth habitLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .