Black Chokeberry

Description

Aronia arbutifolia, called the red chokeberry, is a North American species of shrubs in the rose family. It is native to eastern Canada and to the eastern and central United States, from eastern Texas to Nova Scotia inland to Ontario, Ohio, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Aronia arbutifolia is a branching shrub forming clumps by means of stems forming from the roots. Flowers are white or pink, producing black or bright red fruits. The fruits, whose ill taste inspired the common name, are bitterly acidic (though edible) when eaten raw, but are high in pectin and can be used to make delicious thick jams and jellies. It is a popular native landscaping plant.