Black Chokeberry Shrub

Black chokeberry for sale here is Aronia melanocarpa, also sold as aronia berry, a native shrub with white spring flowers, glossy black berries and red fall color. We ship it bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, for wildlife hedgerows, rain garden edges, berry plantings and wholesale buyers.

Black Chokeberry Size, Zones and Sun

Black chokeberry is one of the more forgiving natives. It reaches 3 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, grows in zones 3 to 8, and berries best in full sun, though part shade works. Wet soil, dry soil, clay, sand, acid or alkaline, it copes with all of them.

Black Chokeberry Flowers and Berries

Tiny off-white to pink flowers open in clusters of five or six in May and June. The berries are shiny black-purple, about half an inch across, and ripen in August and September. Fall color is red to burgundy. The berries are edible but very astringent, which is why most people turn them into jam or jelly.

Black Chokeberry and Wildlife

Birds, butterflies and other pollinators visit the shrub, and small mammals eat the fruit. Our growing black chokeberry guide covers more on how it fits into a planting.

Where to Plant Black Chokeberry

Rain garden edges, damp corners, slopes, hedgerows and wildlife strips all suit it. For a hedge, set plants 3 to 4 feet apart. It suckers freely and spreads into a colony over time. For other natives to mix in, see our native shrubs for Tennessee landscapes.

Planting Black Chokeberry Bare-root

Soak the roots for an hour, dig a hole as wide as the root spread and plant at the depth the shrub grew. Firm the soil and water well. Mulch, and water weekly through the first summer.

Buying Black Chokeberry in Bulk

At 4 feet apart a pack of 25 makes a hedge about 100 feet long, and 100 stretch it to around 400. The 1-2 foot size is the easiest to plant at scale, and the 3-4 foot plants give a fuller look sooner.

Good to Know About Black Chokeberry

Suckers pop up all around the clump, so cut them back each spring if you want a tidy edge. Fresh berries are very tart and dry on the tongue, so plan to cook them. The plant has few pest or disease problems.

Black Chokeberry for Berry Growers

If you plan to harvest, plant in full sun and let the colony fill in. Pick when the berries are fully black-purple in late summer. Birds will take their share, so net a few plants if the crop matters.

Black Chokeberry Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Black chokeberry ships bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale shrubs.