Aronia arbutifolia

Aronia arbutifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Aronia
Species:	A. arbutifolia
Binomial name
Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Pers. 1806
Synonyms [1]
Synonymy Mespilus arbutifolia L. 1753 Adenorachis arbutifolia(L.) Nieuwl. Aronia densaCarrière Aronia × densifloraSpach Aronia glabrescensSpach Aronia nigraDippel Aronia pubensSpach Aronia pumila(Neumann) M.Roem. Aronia pyrifolia(Lam.) Pers. Crataegus pyrifoliaLam. Hahnia arbutifolia(L.) Medik. Photinia pyrifolia(Lam.) K.R.Robertson & J.B.Phipps Pyrus arbutifolia(L.) L.f. Pyrus densiflora(Spach) Steud. Pyrus pumilaNeumann ex Tausch. Sorbus arbutifolia(L.) Heynh. Sorbus densiflora(Spach) Heynh.

Aronia arbutifolia, called the red chokeberry, ^{[2] [3]} is a North American species of shrubs in the rose family. It is native to eastern Canada and to the eastern and central United States, from eastern Texas to Nova Scotia inland to Ontario, Ohio, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. ^[4]

Aronia arbutifolia is a branching shrub forming clumps by means of stems forming from the roots. It may reach a height between 1.8 to 3.6 meters (6 to 12 feet). ^[5] Flowers are white or pink, producing black or bright red fruits. The fruits, whose ill taste inspired the common name, are bitterly acidic (though edible) when eaten raw, ^{[6] [7]} but are high in pectin and can be used to make delicious thick jams and jellies. ^{[8] [9]}

It is a popular landscaping plant. ^[10]

Ecology

Habitat

A. arbutifolia may be found in habitats such as titi bogs, boggy pine flatwoods, various hammocks, and other wet environments. ^[11] It generally has no response to soil disturbance via clearcutting and chopping. ^[12]

Herbivory

A. arbutifolia has been often observed to host insect species such as sweat bees, as well as bees from the Andrenidae family. ^[13]

It has been reported to be consumed by marsh rabbits, ^[14] and accounts for 5-10% of the diet of a variety of game bird and songbird species. ^[15]

References

1. The Plant List, Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Pers.
2. NRCS. "Aronia arbutifolia". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 3 August 2016.
3. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
4. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
5. "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
6. Flora of North America, Aronia arbutifolia (Linnaeus) Persoon, Red chokeberry
7. "Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
8. "Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' (Red Chokeberry)". Gardenia.net. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
9. "Aronia arbutifolia (Chokeberry, Red Chokeberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
10. "Red Chokeberry". Tn Nursery. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
11. Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Edition of 20 October 2020. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
12. Moore, William H.; Swindel, Benee F.; Terry, W. Stephen (March 1982). "Vegetative Response to Clearcutting and Chopping in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest" . Journal of Range Management. 35 (2): 214. doi:10.2307/3898394. JSTOR   3898394.
13. Robertson, K.R.; Phipps, J.B. "Red Chokeberry". Discover Life.
14. Blair, W. Frank (August 1936). "The Florida Marsh Rabbit" . Journal of Mammalogy. 17 (3): 197–207. doi:10.2307/1374414. JSTOR   1374414.
15. Miller, James H.; Miller, Karl V. (2005). Forest plants of the Southeast and their wildlife uses (Rev. ed.). Athens: University of Georgia Press. ISBN   978-0-8203-2748-8.

External links

• "Aronia arbutifolia". Plants for a Future .