Since the six-hour rule has passed, I’ll weigh in by saying I do not have a favorite and cannot recommend one. I’ve tried several and none have done well for me. If it’s not a fungal issue, then the deer browse them to oblivion. If they somehow avoid the deer, they simply fail to thrive. Whatever it is they need, I seem not to have it. Has this been a help?

I'd have to agree with Maackia. I don't understand why this shrub is always recommended. While yes, it has berries, that the birds eat, and it is a native, and it's foliage does turn a pretty color in the fall. It is not a vigorous plant. And it is not substantial. The branching and the size of the leaves, all make it appear to have a very thin canopy, like it is not thriving. If someone else has a different experience, I'd love to hear it.

I had an Aronia melanocarpa for nearly 20 years. I forget the name, but it was about 6 feet tall. It was in part shade but when the surrounding vegetation made it deep shade it declined.

tj

I have both the Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry) and the Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry) in a mixed border. Their flowers are lovely and they are a good height for this bed next to the fence. I have not noticed that it is terribly thin, maybe because it is in a mixed border. Berries for the birds, flowers in the spring, pretty fall color, and native. That's enough for me.

Oh, well, this IS a bit disappointing lol. But yes, maackia, very helpful! Perhaps I will rethink this.

Sounds to me like mountain laurel. Everyone always seems to sing its praises - I believe it is even the state flower/shrub of CT. But to me they always look scrawny like they're hanging on for dear life lol.

Thank you all! If anyone else is reading please chime in with your opinions, especially if you have experience with specific cultivars - Viking, Autumn Magic, Nero, Berry Scape, etc.

cyn427 I was thinking of putting this in a row of shrubs for privacy but since you mentioned that being in a mixed border might be better, maybe I will put in it front of the evergreens, in the next layer of plants.

:)

Dee

Dee, I think you should give it a go. The border does seem like a safe garden space for this North American enigma.. I suppose for clarity we should add there are two NA species: A. melanocarpa and A. arbutifolia. I’ve tried Viking, Autumn Magic, and Low Scape.

The following description of ’Brilliantissima’ is similar to what I read way back when that sucked me in: ”An underused native stunner, this narrow, upright growing shrub is ideal for grouping in sandy or moist soils and will perform like a champ with landscape interest throughout the season. Foliage emerges dark green and shiny and provides a great backdrop for profuse flattened heads of small white flowers in mid to late May that are filled with nectar for native bees. From these flowers, berries occur, filling the plant with brilliant red fruit in the fall that many of our most prized bird species consider a delicacy. The brilliant berries match breathtaking, bright red foliage as the weather cools.”

It didn’t perform like a champ for me, but maybe z6 Connecticut will be perfect.

Lol maackia, we must be reading the same catalog! Brilliantisima is one of the ones I've been thinking about, and yep, that's pretty much what I read too! Was also considering Viking, which is what prompted my question about differences and favorites, etc.

What is your opinion of the Low Scape? I see there are several low-growing cultivars and maybe they might be a better option. If aronia in general were as gorgeous as all the descriptions make it out to be, I'd want a larger specimen. But if it gets leggy and thin, then perhaps having a smaller, more compact cultivar might work better. It will just be a little wow instead of a big wow, but at least then it might not be a big dud either lol. But then I would also use it in another area for a different purpose than the larger shrubs that I am looking at now.

:)

Dee

My opinion of Low Scape is the same as the other selections: negative. I tried it in two different locations, with one being part shade and the other full sun. It was a very weak grower in both locations — it just never seemed to take off. I wish I could give you a specific reason(s), but I can’t. Aronia has been a garden disappointment for me, but cyn427 has a more positive experience. Here’s a modified Nike slogan for gardeners: Just Grow It!

I have 'Brilliantissima' I'll try to post a photo. It's looking pretty awful this Fall in particular.

Ive been growing the straight species of Aronia melanocarpa for several years. It's about 6 ft. tall and it hasn't suckered. I have no experience with Aronia arbutifolia or Aronia x prunifolia. The species type has all the same attributes as the named cultivars. Compact growth, not agressive, nice fall color.

Jay, thanks for chiming in. I'm very intrigued by your answer - I just assumed the straight species would sucker more, and perhaps not be as full. Usually cultivars address some of the perceived weaknesses of plants - like suckering or legginess lol. Maybe I should consider the species instead.... Would you happen to have a photo you can post?

:)

Dee

Dee, I'll take a photo of my Aronia for you. Ive been growing it for 7 years and have only seen 1 small sucker.

I didn't think they sucker at all.

Not familiar with Aronia but I read " Plants have a wide range of soil tolerance including boggy soil ". I interpret that to mean it won't be happy in dry rocky soils, which is what you have, right? https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=j420

I know you have plenty of choices to pick from but something about this discussion reminded me of a shrub I used to have that might work. Kolwitzia 'Dreamcatcher'

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d304

I'm also a sucker for chartreuse foliage! and it is deer resistant.

Also my picture files came up w Lespedeza Gibraltar. I don't even remember it but it seems comparable to the type of look you might be going for...

Aronia melanocarpa

This bush is about 8 years old, and is a couple inches shy of 6ft. The taller side must get more sun. It's planted in part sun.

This small sucker is the only one produced in 8 years.

I tried to get a photo but the shadows in the yard are a lot this time of year.

That has been there since 2010 and It's on my list to replace.

To the right of it is Ilex 'Sky Pencil'. That has been a great plant in my garden. It stays narrow. I used to string it up to keep it from opening up the winter, but we've had so little snow lately I can't remember the last time I did. It's pretty simple to wrap some string around it for the winter, and if you forget, it's very easy to prune it the next year and get it back in shape. It responds well to pruning. Fairly drought resistant. It is not in full sun there. Afternoon shade. It's been there since 2009.

Wendy I'm a sucker for chartreuse foliage too! I often have to restrain myself from over-using it! I have actually been looking at some kolwitzia, and funny that you posted that lespedeza - I grew that once eons ago as a beginning gardener. Forgot all about that... Think I lost it -wrong spot, likely neglected lol - but wow what a blast from the past lol. And certainly one to put on my list.

My soil in this spot is actually quite good - about 50 years of leaves piling up, undisturbed area, shaded area, etc. Rocky? Lol well when I think of "rocky soil" I usually picture dry soil with little rocks in it - from gravel-sized to fist sized. What I have are small boulders lol. I do think there might have been a stone wall under here, as my SIL thinks. So once I move out the big rocks, the soil is quite decent.

Jay, many many thanks for the photo. It helped me make my decision. I think the aronia is a bit too "thin" for this spot, but I really like them so I think I will add one elsewhere, and will certainly look into the straight species.

PM2 your Sky Pencil is nice! 2009? I thought I remembered when you planted it, but do I lol? Were you on garden web back then? It looks great. I've heard people say they issues with this - as you noted, snow in winter can be problematic, and I don't recall the other issue. But your's is looking good - better than some catalog photos I've seen. I have this tentatively on a list for another shrub border so now I'll keep it there - mostly for if I end up with a small empty space lol.

Thanks everyone!

:)

Dee

Dee, I've been on gw since 2004. ;-) It's hard to see in this photo. I'll try to get a better one. The top opened up after heavy snow once and I pruned it back to get it in shape again and had no other issues. In the beginning we were getting more snow back then and I used to tie it up every winter and missed it once. Tying it up was easy. I used a large piece of panty hose to tie to the bottom of the trunk with string attached to that and just wound it around in a spiral and tied it at the top. Quick and easy and it stayed in perfect shape. I've had no other issue with it.

Professor Ed if you can find it.

Well, as much as I've been disappointed with Aronia, I have a new area I'm planting that has a little more sun than where my Aronia is now. I also picked up three pots of aronia at a local plant sale in the spring, Why? lol I don't know why I did that. But now I am thinking, I have space to fill up. The plants are young, and if I group all three of them close together, maybe I'll get a better result that I'm happy with. I can always dig them out and replace them.

Thank you ALL for all your input - I enjoyed this conversation and leaned a few things.

I actually had a few spots in mind for aronia, and while I am putting off one for my own garden for now, I did purchase a Berry Scape aronia for my daughter's yard. We'll give it a shot and see how it does. She likes berrying shrubs but with two toddlers she worries about toxicity, so we'll try the aronia. I still like the look of the fall foliage, and the berries, so I think eventually I may add one or two straight species to my little patch of woods, where the legginess or suckering won't be such a problem, but I can still enjoy the color.

Lol PM2, I had to laugh when I read your last post about buying three more! Hopefully yours will do well for you!

Thanks again everyone!

:)

Dee

P.S. - ctgardenguy - Rich, is this you?? :)

I bought about 5 large potted ones last fall at the end of season sale from a nursery, $5 each, aronia meloncarpa straight species, 4-5 feet tall. I ended up flipping all but one, which I planted along the fence in an area where I used to have bird feeders. Figured I’d no longer fill the feeders, but I’ll provide habitat and plants that birds can feed from instead. It seems to have established okay, some flowering, and a few big masses of deep purple berries which haven’t been touched so far. My understanding is they may be eaten by birds in the middle of winter sometime, not all berries are eaten when we (humans) think they are at their peak. But it’s funny to see lush berries just sit there for the past few months.

I had aronia xprunifolia and amelanchier canadensis. I now only have the Saskatoon so make of this what you will.

LaLennoxa what a deal! And for such large shrubs! Wow I would have definitely bought some too. Funny how the berry thing works. Either the birds don't touch them or they eat them so fast the humans don't get to enjoy them lol.

:)

Dee

Here is a photo I took with the uneaten berries! You can still see the tag I left in at the bottom right corner :)