Black chokeberry is a low-maintenance native shrub with edible berries.
The tart black berries of this shrub provide a food source for wildlife.
The antioxidant-rich fruit also can be be enjoyed by people, usually in jams and jellies.
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
Use this guide to grow black chokeberry in your yard.
Use it in garden beds, hedges, andwildlife gardensin USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 8.
When planted in a naturalized site, allow the suckers to mature and form a colony.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Black chokeberry can withstand wet conditions and be used inrain gardensand along streams and ponds.
Backfill the hole, press down with your hands to remove any air pockets, and water the shrub.
When planting multiple shrubs, space them 4 to 5 feet apart.
Credit:Denny Schrock
The best flowering and fruiting occurs in full-sun locations.
Soil and Water
Plant black chokeberry in average,well-draining garden soil.
In dry areas, see that the plant receives a gallon of water weekly.
Credit: Bill Stites
Fertilizer
This shrub doesn’t require much fertilizer.
Add compost to the area when planting black chokeberry and again each spring.
Remove a third of the old shoots to the ground after flowering to rejuvenate a landscape shrub.
When rejuvenating a fruiting bed, cut off the branches at the base and let the plant grow back.
The best fruiting happens on branches younger than seven years.
Fill it with lightweight potting soil mixed with some compost.
It isn’t a fast grower, so it won’t need to be repotted each year.
Pests and Problems
Black chokeberry has no serious insect or disease problems, althoughaphids might visit.
If so, they can be sprayed off with water ortreated with neem oil.
In humid areas,powdery mildew can become a problem.
Keep the garden clean and discard any leaves that display powdery mildew.
If the problem persists, treat the shrub with an organic fungicide.
The shrub is deer-resistant, althoughdeer might browse in the spring.
Occasionally, they pull newly planted shrubs from the ground and leave them in the garden.
The tart, bitter taste repels the deer.Blood mealis somewhat effective at keeping deer away.
Plant it in a new bed and water it well.
Black chokeberry can also be propagated by taking stem cuttings in late summer fromsoftwood or semi-softwood stems.
Each cutting should have two to four leaf nodes.
Mist the cuttings regularly.
Growing to 4 feet high and wide, it easily fits in average-size gardens.
The white blossoms attract pollinators to the garden in spring, and birds feast on the berries in autumn.
This bee-friendly shrub attracts birds and butterflies to the garden.
It grows 4-6 feet tall and wide.
Look forcontrasting berry and fall leaf colors.
Yellow fall foliage and the blue-black fruit add interest to the landscape.
There will be up to 12 berries in each cluster.
They can also be harvested with a blueberry picker.
Wash them, looking for bugs and removing damaged berries.
Remove the berries from the stem, dry them off, and store them in a freezer for processing.
The berries have a bittersweet flavor that will make your mouth pucker.
The bitterness is triggered by tannins in the fruit.
Tannins make dry wines dry.
Black chokeberry shrubs are easy to grow organically.
The shrubs are simple to maintain and do not need trellising or spraying.
