Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

Pink, White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Red

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

Mediterranean, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Red Chokeberry is a lovely, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that grows 6 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, with an open, soft vase-shaped habit. Clusters of white to light pink, 5-petaled flowers appear in spring, followed by abundant glossy red fruits (1/4” diameter) which appear in dense clusters along the branches. Fruits ripen in late summer and persist on the shrub throughout fall and well into winter. Leaves are oval, and glossy dark green above and grayish-green beneath. Foliage turns bright red in autumn. Common name is in reference to the tart and bitter berries which are technically edible but are so astringent as to cause choking in those who try. Fruits are sometimes used to make tasty jams and jellies (with the addition of sweetners!). Fruit sweetens a bit with the frost, making the berries more palatible to birds. A number of named cultivars are available in the trade.

Grow in well drained soil; adaptive to a variety of soil types, including clay soils and dry soils. Grows in full sun to part shade, though flowering and fruiting will diminish. Also, best fall color occurs in full sun. Does not require pruning to maintain form, so prune selectively to control height (see Guides). They tend to sucker, but are not aggressively so.