Aronia arbutifolia

It seems a disservice to laud the best native trees for fall color, without highlighting a few shrubs, too. And so today I am sharing a few shots of Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry) that I took in Central Park last October. 

 

Aronia is a native shrub in the Rosaceae family and is similar to its relatives in its ovate, serrated leaves and the presence of small berries which somewhat resemble rosehips.  It readily suckers and spreads, and can survive in somewhat marshy areas.  The flowers look like many others in the rose family - they are small, with five white petals and showy stamens.  I've blogged about many rose family plants before, including crabapples, quince, cherrylaurels, cherries, hawthornes, and most notably the dreaded Bradford pear and the wonderful serviceberry.  

Like its relatives, chokeberry has exceptional fall color and its status as a native makes it an excellent alternative to invasive plants like burning bush (Euonymus alatus) or Nandina domestica. The fruit provide food for birds as well, though it isn't edible for them until a few frosts have fermented the fruit's flesh. (A lot of alliteration for a little laugh.)

Aronia derives from 'Aria' - the Greek name for Sorbus which has similar berries. Arbutifolia literally means that the foliage looks like Arbutus. Chokeberry is the common name because the fruit is quite astringent, though it can be rendered into jams, jellies, wines and teas.  It should not be confused with the similarly named chokecherry, which is Prunus virginiana.