# Black Chokeberry (*aronia melanocarpa*)

Black Chokeberry plants have shiny black berries that taste a little tart! They are great for making delicious jams and are loved by many birds.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Black Chokeberry grows in wet areas like swamps, forests, and along riverbanks.
- **Also known as:** Aronia, Blackberry Choke, Chokeberry

![Black Chokeberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aronia-melanocarpa-Aron.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aronia-melanocarpa-Aron.JPG)

## Appearance

The Black Chokeberry is a bushy shrub featuring clusters of small white flowers in spring. Its glossy green leaves transform into stunning shades of red and purple in autumn. It's easily identified by its abundant, pea-sized, deep purple-black berries that persist through winter.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Rosaceae
- **Genus:** Aronia

## Interesting facts

- Many birds love to munch on these dark, healthy berries.
- People call them 'superfruits' because they are packed with good stuff!
- The berries are super tart raw, making your mouth pucker up!
- This tough bush can grow happily even in freezing cold winters.

## Special abilities

- **Super Survivor Shrub:** Black Chokeberry can grow in many tough places, like wet or dry soils, helping it survive where other plants cannot.
- **Berry Bonanza:** Black Chokeberry produces loads of dark berries, giving birds and animals plenty of food in fall and winter.
- **Color Change Master:** Its leaves turn vibrant red and purple in autumn, helping it stand out and attract attention for seed dispersal.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats its nutritious berries
- **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses its leaves and twigs
- **Shelter:** [Dark-eyed Junco](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dark-eyed-junco) (*Junco hyemalis*) — hides in its dense branches

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Black Chokeberry?

Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Black Chokeberry?

100-300 cm

### How wide does Black Chokeberry spread?

100-200 cm

### How big are the flowers on Black Chokeberry?

1-1.5 cm

### When does Black Chokeberry bloom?

Late spring to early summer

### Is Black Chokeberry edible?

Yes

### Is Black Chokeberry toxic?

None

### What is Black Chokeberry's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Patterson Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/patterson-park) — Maryland, US · Botanical Garden
- [Blydenburgh Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blydenburgh-park-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District
- [Caleb Smith State Park Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/caleb-smith-state-park-preserve) — New York, US · State Park
- [Jefferson Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jefferson-park) — Washington, US · Park

[View all places to see Black Chokeberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-chokeberry)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Black Chokeberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-chokeberry)