Pronounced (approximate): ah-ROH-nee-ah mel-an-oh-KAR-pah
White five-petaled flowers grow in rounded clusters.
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa): flowers and plant details. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Rosaceae
Life cycle Deciduous shrub
Blooms May–June
Height 3–8 feet
Habitat Wet thickets, bog margins, and woodland openings
Common names: Black Chokeberry
Other scientific names used: Photinia melanocarpa
Bloom timing and height vary with location. See the regional range below.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Wet thickets, bog margins, and woodland openings. Flowering season: may–june.
Chokeberry has compact flower clusters; chokecherry bears elongated racemes. Look for small glands along the upper leaf midrib.
White five-petaled flowers grow in rounded clusters.
Alternate oval leaves have finely toothed edges.
Dark berry-like pomes develop later in the season.
Wet thickets, bog margins, and woodland openings.
10 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to eastern Canada and the north-central and eastern United States.
Documented U.S. state records
AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
Documented state occurrences; native and introduced records may both be included. This is not a county-level map.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Black Chokeberry in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.