When two different GardensAll community members mentioned being excited about starting to grow aronia berries, also called chokeberries, we took that as a sign that it’s time to look into it. Now we’re sharing here what we learned as well as their comments.
What is Aronia Berry?
Aronia berry is a hardy growing deciduous shrub in the Rosaceae family that bears astringent black-blue berries high in antioxidant benefits. These spread easily via suckers.
Scientific Names
A medium, upright shrub, Aronia black chokeberries belong to the Rosaceae family, and are typically known by the name Aronia.
- Aronia melanocarpa
- Previous botanical names:
- Photinia melanocarpa
- Pyrus melanocarpa
- Sorbus melanocarpa
Aronia Common Names
- Black Berried Aronia
- Black Chokeberry
- Black Seeded chokeberry
- Chokeberries
Growing Aronia Melanocarpa – Hardiness Zones 3-8
Native to North America, aronia, with the aronia chokeberry, you can plant it and leave it alone and it will usually still survive and thrive. Chokeberries is a determined shrub, easy to grow in full sun or partial shade and can even thrive in all kinds of soil conditions.
Aronia Berries – the Black Chokeberry
Contributing writer – market gardener, orchard owner, Louis Lachowsky
Aronia berries, commonly known as the black chokeberry aronia is something I had never heard of until we began our caneberry, orchard, berry bush and vineyard enterprise.
The aronia berry bush is native to the eastern United States and produces an astringent berry high in antioxidants.
What to Make With Aronia Berries?
Aronia Berry Wine
The winery down the road from us makes a delicious dry red from the Aronia but I believe it is a blended wine rather than being made exclusively from the Aronia berry.
Aronia Berry Jelly
Last year, when we were making our jellies, we blended the chokeberry juice with blueberry and cherry juices and sold it as “Mixed Berry” jelly.
Due to the inedible pit, cherries are classified merely as a fruit and chokeberries are technically called pomes, as I understand it.
The aronia’s gave that particular batch of jelly a vibe that kind of whispered “Merlot wine” to my tastebuds.
Of course, there were people that didn’t care for a jelly that didn’t meet their “sweetness” expectations.
However, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of customers that came back to our booth for additional jars after they discerned a subtlety bestowed to the jelly solely by the aronia. (Yes, I always have jelly samples and crackers available for customers. Tortilla chips or gluten free cracker for the gluten challenged amongst us).
Aronia Berry Bushes Are Easy to Grow
I initially planted my bushes as edible landscaping, (see also, foodscaping ideas, and edible hedges).
Pest and Disease Resistant
What I have discovered is that these black chokeberries are naturally pest and disease resistant.
High Yielding Fruit Trees
In addition aronia berry bushes are prolific producers, their pomes conveniently fit into a previously unoccupied harvest slot and they are not that attractive as food to wildlife.
Aronia Berry Bushes Ornamental Value
As an added bonus, chokeberry bushes have beautiful blazing red foliage in the fall!
Thanks for that great info and aronia berry and aronia bush photos, Louis!
Black Chokeberry Benefits of Berries and Leaves
In recent years, much new information about benefits of aronia berry bushes has been published, especially about the berries. However, it seems there’s more to aronia than its berries. Similar to blueberry and blackberry leaves, aronia has leaves with benefits too!
See also edible leaves of fruit and vegetables.
Chokeberry Leaves – From Folk Medicine Uses to Lab Studied Benefits
Leaves of chokeberry shrubs have been used in traditional folk medicine for remediation of many ailments.
Traditional Uses of Aronia Leaves
Used in Siberia and by American Indians, Aronia leave were considered an elixir of youth for bestowing benefits such as:
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-proliferative
- Antiviral agents
- Sharpened cognition
- Healing of bones
Modern Research on Uses for Aronia Leaves
- Antimicrobial
- Anticancer
- Antioxidants
Forgotten over time, many of these benefits are resurfacing and some are being studied and show that extracts from aronia leaves may have medicinal applications as antimicrobials and cancer drugs.[1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30248480/[2]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18350513/
The mineral content of numerous berry shrubs such as chokeberry leaves, has been shown to be higher in antioxidants than in the fruits. But each has something to offer and it’s worth learning how to make use it.[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071145/
Health Benefits of Chokeberries
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antiproliferative
- Gastroprotective
- Hepatoprotective
Aronia Berries Benefits in Chronic Disease
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes
- Metabolic disorders
- Improved glucose and blood pressure levels
REFERENCE: 2017 study on Fruits of Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases
Where to Buy Aronia
If you just want to try tasting the berries before growing them, to see if you like them, check with growers at your local farmers market to see if they know of anyone growing and selling aronia berries.
Just ask around, and most market vendors know each other and what they sell, and so can direct you accordingly.
Where to Buy Aronia Berries and Products
You can get these from Amazon:
- BERRIES – Dried aronia berries
- CAPSULES – Aronia capsules
- JUICE – Aronia berry juice
- POWDER – Aronia berry powder
- WINE – Here are several aronia wine sellers:
- Balic Winery, New Jersey
- Enjoy Wild Wines, Oregon
- Wolf Creek Winery, South Dakota
Where to Buy Aronia Berry Bushes to Plant
We always prefer to support local businesses whenever possible, so we recommend always checking with your local nurseries first. Many of them can order plants for you if they’re not already carrying it. But for your convenience, here’s a short list of a few places to buy aronia berries bushes.
We just bought ours from our local nursery in King, NC — Mitchell’s Nursery — which had the best price of the places we checked in the list below.
Beyond that, you can also buy aronia berry plants from these sources:
Where to Buy Black Chokeberry Bushes
- Amazon
- Edible Landscaping, Afton, VA
- The Tree Center, Maryland
If you’re growing any of the chokeberries or chokecherries, we’d love to hear how you’re using them and anything you’d care to share on it.
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds! I’m a writer, editor and media publisher for our family of websites.
While I was certified in fitness and life coaching, I am NOT a health practitioner. However, I’m a lifelong health enthusiast, with a keen interest in healthy, organic foods and making home remedies and the content we share is from our own experience and usage as well as that extracted from scientific research so that you can explore further on your own.
Always seek the advice and guidance of your health practitioners first and foremost.
As a family we’re steadily expanding our gardening, experimentation and knowledge around all things gardening, edible landscaping, fresh organic foods and self sustainability with farming in our future. I also own and manage iCreateDaily.com, a site all about transformation through creation, and the power of positivity, optimism and mindset.
References