{"product_id":"autumn-magic-black-chokeberry","title":"Autumn Magic Black Chokeberry","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAronia melanocarpa\u003c\/em\u003e 'Autumn Magic'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Edible landscaping and small-fruit plantings, foundation beds, mass plantings, pollinator and wildlife gardens, damp or difficult ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heavy crops of deep purple-black fruit on a compact, well-branched frame that stays full to the ground, followed by fall foliage that runs through purple and red rather than settling on one color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun, Partial Sun\/Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deciduous Shrub\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upright, Rounded — compact multi-stemmed frame that fills to the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e White\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Green, maturing to Purple and Red in fall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–5 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–5 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mid to late spring\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA native fruiting shrub that behaves like a landscape plant, which is a combination most edibles never manage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Autumn Magic' is a compact selection of black chokeberry, and its virtue is that it stays dense and full to the ground where the straight species tends toward a looser, leggier habit. At three to five feet in both directions it fits a foundation bed, a mixed border, or a low informal hedge without any of the corrective pruning that fruiting shrubs usually demand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhite flower clusters open in mid to late spring and draw steady pollinator traffic. The fruit follows in late summer — pea-sized, deep purple-black, glossy, and set in generous clusters that weigh the branch tips down. Aronia berries are the ones actually used for juice, preserves, and syrups, and 'Autumn Magic' produces enough to make harvesting worthwhile rather than symbolic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fall display is where the name comes from. The glossy summer foliage turns through purple, red, and orange, often carrying several of those at once across a single plant, and holds the color for a long stretch with the dark fruit still hanging in it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts tolerance range is wide. Black chokeberry handles wet ground, dry ground, clay, sand, cold to zone 3, and partial shade, and it is one of the more consistently deer-resistant native shrubs in the trade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAutumn Magic Black Chokeberry Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun produces the heaviest fruit set and the strongest fall color. It fruits acceptably in partial shade, which is uncommon for a small-fruit plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil is rarely limiting. Chokeberry grows in wet or dry ground, clay, sand, or loam across a wide pH range, and tolerates periodic flooding. Reasonable drainage produces the best growth but is not strictly required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater through the first growing season. Established plants handle normal summer dry spells, though consistent moisture improves fruit size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeeding is usually unnecessary. In poor soil, one spring application of a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e is enough for the year. Heavy nitrogen pushes foliage at the expense of fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrune in late winter before growth begins. The compact habit needs little shaping — remove dead or crossing stems and take out one or two of the oldest canes at the base every few years to keep the plant productive. Suckers can be cut at the perimeter to hold the footprint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Autumn Magic Black Chokeberry for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Autumn Magic Black Chokeberry ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Autumn Magic Black Chokeberry Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExpect roughly 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, compact and well filled to the ground. Growth is moderate. Space 3 feet on center for a continuous low hedge or mass, or 4 feet where you want distinct plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most widely used names for this plant are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack Chokeberry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAronia Berry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAutumn Magic Chokeberry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Aronia berry\" is the name used commercially for the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the berries edible?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Black chokeberry is the species grown commercially for aronia juice, syrup, jam, and dried fruit. Raw berries are astringent and dry in the mouth, so most people cook, juice, or blend them rather than eating them straight off the shrub. They sweeten noticeably after a frost. More fruiting plants are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/berries\"\u003eBerries\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo I need two plants to get fruit?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Black chokeberry is self-fertile, so a single plant will fruit on its own. Planting more than one increases the overall crop and makes a better landscape mass, but it is not required for pollination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is 'Autumn Magic' different from ordinary black chokeberry?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt was selected for a more compact, denser habit and for stronger, more consistent fall color. The straight species is taller and tends to open up at the base over time; this form holds a tidy three-to-five-foot mound that works in a foundation bed without ongoing pruning. Other native selections are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo deer eat it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRarely. Chokeberry is one of the more dependably deer-resistant native shrubs, which is unusual for a fruiting plant and makes it a practical choice for unfenced edible plantings. More options are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/deer-resistant-shrubs-evergreens\"\u003edeer-resistant shrubs and evergreens\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"3 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47492755161250,"sku":"PN-chokeberryam-3-1yr","price":79.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/AutumnMagicBlackChokeberry.jpg?v=1786014958","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/autumn-magic-black-chokeberry","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}