North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

Rosaceae > Aronia (chokeberry)

Statewide and common in various wet habitats in NC, especially in the coastal plain.

Bright red fruit develop in the fall.

Members of the genus Aronia can be distinguished by the tiny dark hairs on the midribs of the leaves.

Rare in the NC piedmont and uncommon in the mountains, Black Chokeberry grows in bogs, mountain balds, rocky outcrops and various forested habitats.

Uncommon in the western half of NC, Purple Chokeberry grows in various wet forest habitats.

Close-up of the leaf midrib showing the dark hairs.

Aronia prunifolia has been treated variously by taxonomists as Sorbus arbutifolia var. atropurpurea, Pyrus floribunda, Aronia atropurpurea, and Photinia floribunda.