# Red Chokeberry (*aronia arbutifolia*)

The Red Chokeberry is a small shrub that produces bright red berries. These berries are loved by birds and can be made into delicious jams and jellies!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Wetlands, forest edges, and along streams.
- **Also known as:** Redberry

![Red Chokeberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Choke-Berries-IMG_2431_051013_121714.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Abrahami assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Choke-Berries-IMG_2431_051013_121714.jpg)

## Appearance

The Red Chokeberry is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with glossy dark green leaves that turn brilliant fiery red in autumn. It has small white to pinkish flowers in spring, followed by clusters of bright red, pea-sized berries that persist through winter.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Chokeberry juice is incredibly healthy, packed with powerful antioxidants!
- Its super tart berries often stay bright red on branches even after the first frost!
- Native Americans cleverly used these berries for food, especially in pemmican!
- This shrub is called 'chokeberry' because its raw berries make your mouth pucker up!

## Special abilities

- **Winter Berry Power-Up:** Red Chokeberry can hold onto its bright red berries all winter, offering a crucial food source for birds when other foods are scarce.
- **Color-Changing Cloak:** Red Chokeberry has leaves that transform from green to brilliant red in fall, helping it prepare for winter by efficiently shedding its leaves.
- **Tough Root Resilience:** Red Chokeberry can grow in both wet and dry soils, tolerating various conditions to survive in many different habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 150-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats its persistent berries in late fall and winter
- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits its spring flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — sometimes browses its leaves and twigs
- **Eaten by:** [Dark-eyed Junco](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dark-eyed-junco) (*Junco hyemalis*) — forages on fallen berries under the shrub

## Traits

- [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.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [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 Red 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 Red Chokeberry?

150-300 cm

### How wide does Red Chokeberry spread?

100-200 cm

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

0.5-1 cm

### When does Red Chokeberry bloom?

Spring

### Is Red Chokeberry edible?

Yes

### Is Red Chokeberry toxic?

Mild

### What is Red Chokeberry's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Long Island Game Farm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-game-farm) — New York, US · Zoo
- [Arboretum Villanova](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arboretum-villanova) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden

## 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: [Red Chokeberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-chokeberry)