Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Also listed as Photinia melanocarpa
Found in mountain balds; forests and woodlands; cliffs, ledges and rocky summits; seeps and springs. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
90
Keystone
Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- About 6 feet
- Spread
- 3–6 feet
- Light
- Partial sun, Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Average to wet
Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- May to June
- Fruiting season
- August to September
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Recorded in 60 Virginia counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 4
Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 105 animals.
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Yellow-rumped WarblerDendroica coronata
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Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
68CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Sorbus
- Acleris nivisellanaApple Leaf Twister, Snowy-Shouldered Acleris
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta clarescensClear Dagger
- Acronicta fragilisFragile Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta innotataUnmarked Dagger
- Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
- Acronicta radcliffeiRadcliffe's Dagger
- Acronicta superansSplendid Dagger, Chieftain Dagger
Show all 68
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Ancylis burgessianaOak Leafroller
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Catocala gryneaWoody Underwing
- Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
- Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
- Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Eulia ministranaFerruginous Eulia
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
- Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Hedya chionosemaTwin-Spotted Budworm, White-Spotted Hedya
- Hedya nr.Large Bud Moth, Green Bud Moth, Off-White Hedya
- Hesperumia sulphurariaSulphur Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Korscheltellus gracilisConifer Swift Moth, Graceful Ghost Moth
- Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
- Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
- Lomographa semiclarataBluish Spring Moth, Wildcherry Looper
- Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
- Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
- Lyonetia prunifoliellaStriped Bent-wing
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Metaxaglaea semitariaFootpath Sallow
- Metaxaglaea viaticaRoadside Sallow
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Paraclemensia acerifoliellaMaple Leafcutter, Maple Case-Bearer
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phyllonorycter crataegellaApple Leaf Miner, Apple Blotch Leafminer, Apple Leafblotch Miner
- Podosesia syringaeLilac Borer Moth, Ash Borer
- Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
- Semioscopis packardellaPackard's Concealer Moth, Packard's Semioscopis
- Synanthedon pictipesLesser Peachtree Borer Moth
- Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
- Venusia cambricaThe Welsh Wave
- Venusia comptariaBrown-Shaded Carpet
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
14BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Aronia
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sorbus
- Catharus fuscescensVeery
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
- Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–8
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- White
- Growth habit
- Forms thickets
- Foliage color
- Red
- Fruit begins
- August
- Fruit ends
- September
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “May to June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Red” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Growth habit · “Forms thickets” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3–8” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Height · “About 6 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Partial sun (minimum requirement); Full sun (minimum requirement)” · Virginia DCR Piedmont (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
- primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “Medium; Wet” · Missouri Botanical Garden: Aronia melanocarpa
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Spread · “3–6 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as
Photinia melanocarpa; Sorbus melanocarpa; mountain ash; mountain-ash
Conservation status
| Virginia rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Growing cautions
- Suckers and forms colonies. Spreads freely and suckers profusely. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications