Red Chokeberry

Aronia arbutifolia

Red chokeberry is a three-season shrub that rarely gets the recognition it deserves. In spring, small white flowers attract early native bees just as they're emerging. By fall, the persistent red berries light up the shrub in clusters that last well into winter, contrasting against brilliant red-orange fall foliage that's among the finest of any native shrub. The berries technically belong to the birds. robins and waxwings work through them. but they stay on the plant long enough to provide weeks of winter color even after some are eaten. It handles wet, poorly-drained soils exceptionally well, making it ideal for low spots, rain garden borders, and stream edges where you need multi-season interest and wildlife value.