Aronia melanocarpa forms a broad, suckering deciduous shrub with glossy green leaves, white spring flower clusters, edible purplish-black fruit, and vivid red-purple fall color. Its dense growth works well in an edible hedge, rain garden, or wildlife planting.
Plant it in full sun for the best fruit crop, or use partial shade where a lighter harvest is acceptable. It adapts to clay, loam, or sand and handles moist sites when drainage remains adequate.
The tart, bitter, astringent pomes ripen from late summer into early autumn and mellow when processed into juice, jam, or jelly. Water during establishment, keep an organic mulch over the root area, and remove suckers if you do not want a colony.
