Herb: Black Chokeberry


Latin name: Aronia melanocarpa


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Black Chokeberry:

An infusion of the berries has been used in the treatment of colds.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2.5 m
(8 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Swamps and low woodlands, it is sometimes also found in drier soils.

Edible parts of Black Chokeberry:

Fruit - cooked. A good flavour but very astringent. The fruit should be fully ripe before being eaten and is best after a frost or two. It makes a good jelly when sugar is added and is also dried and used for making pemmican. The fruit is rich in pectin and can be added to fruits that are low in this substance when making jams etc. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation. The fruit is about 9mm in diameter.

Other uses of the herb:

The fruit is a source of pectin, a substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.

Propagation of Black Chokeberry:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed overnight and then cold stratify for 3 months at 2°C. The seed germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Very easy, they can be planted straight out into their permanent positions. Layering.

Cultivation of the herb:

Swamps and low woodlands, it is sometimes also found in drier soils.

Known hazards of Aronia melanocarpa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.