Field ManualAll plants

Photo: Salicyna, via Wikimedia CommonsLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0

Black chokeberry

Aronia melanocarpa

  • Native
  • Fruit shrub
  • Astringent fruit

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
Human edibility
Edible
Edible parts
ripe fruit
Hazardous parts
Not yet checked.
Preparation
Not yet checked.
Hazard type
Not yet checked.
Hazard route
none listed
How complete this information is
The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets
No ASPCA entry found.

No source we checked assesses this plant for pets, so the app makes no pet claim either way.

Look-alike warning
Could be mistaken for Plants that share its name. To tell them apart: NC State notes the common name chokeberry refers to the very astringent fruit; the fruit is a pome though often called a berry..

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones

NC State: USDA zones 3a to 8b.

Mature size

NC State: height 3-10 ft, width 3-6 ft.

Family

Rosaceae (rose family)

Where it comes from

NC State: eastern North America, including Florida and Canada east of Ontario.

Soil & Drainage
Pruning & Flush Rhythm
Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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Anatomy & Guilds

Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics

How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.

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Field Doctor

Field Doctor

What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.

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Vintage Plates

Vintage Plates

Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.

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Sources

  1. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Aronia melanocarpa
  2. Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), names file dated 2026-06-04

How we choose sources

Wishlists live in the app

Wishlists are part of the Plot & Petal app, which is coming soon. Nothing is added to a wishlist from this page.

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