Chokeberry
Latin name: Aronia melanocarpa (black), Aronia arbutifolia (red) and Aronia prunifolia (purple)
164 Aronias have been planted in Fort Hill Park.
They are native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps.
We have planted three varieties of chokeberries: black, red and purple. The summer heat and drought in 2022 was rough on them. Some have not survived.
The name “chokeberry” comes from the extremely sour flavor of the berries. In spite of this, the birds eat them all summer and into the fall and winter, if they don’t migrate south.
