Overview
Uses: Groundcover plantings, mass plantings, low borders, slopes, and pollinator gardens.
Benefits: A very low, mounding chokeberry that works like a native groundcover shrub. White spring flowers, glossy black berries, and brilliant red-orange fall color.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Mounding, Spreading — low, dense mound.
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Green, turning Red and Orange in fall
Mature Height: 1–2 feet
Mature Width: 1.5–2 feet
Bloom Season: Spring
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
A native shrub low enough to work as a groundcover.
Most chokeberries are hedge-height shrubs. Low Scape Mound® stays 1 to 2 feet tall and forms a dense, even mound. Planted in groups, the plants grow together into a continuous low cover, which makes it a practical way to fill a slope, a wide bed, or a strip of yard that is a chore to mow.
It changes through the year. White flowers appear in spring, followed by glossy black berries that ripen by late summer. In fall the foliage turns brilliant red and orange, so a mass planting reads as a sweep of color across the ground.
Like its parent species, black chokeberry, it handles a wide range of soils, from clay to ground that stays wet after rain, and its spring flowers give early bees something to work.
Care
Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun gives the most flowers and the brightest fall color; partial shade is fine, with somewhat lighter bloom.
It grows in most soils, including heavy clay and ground that stays damp for stretches. Slightly acidic soil is ideal, though not required. On a slope, work some compost into each planting hole to help roots get going.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish, especially on slopes where water runs off quickly. Established plants handle both wet periods and short dry spells. Mulch between young plants holds moisture and keeps weeds down until the mounds fill in.
Feeding needs are light. One application of a slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty for the first few years, and established plantings often need none.
Little pruning is needed. Flowers form on the previous year's growth, so any trimming is best done right after bloom. As plants mature they fill in toward one another; trim the outer edges if you want to keep a planting in bounds.
Growing in Containers
Its low, mounded habit suits a wide patio container or planter box. Use a pot with open drainage and a quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, so check moisture often during warm weather, and feed lightly each spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients out of the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry for Sale Online?
Our Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry Grow?
Expect about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide at maturity, in a low, dense mound. For groundcover coverage, space plants about 18 to 24 inches apart so they grow together into a solid mass.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry?
The botanical name is Aronia melanocarpa Low Scape Mound® ‘UCONNAM165’. It is a Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrub selected for its very low, mounding habit.
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called black chokeberry, and is also widely known as aronia.
Is Low Scape Mound® Black Chokeberry a native plant?
It is a selection of Aronia melanocarpa, which is native to eastern North America, from eastern Canada south through the Appalachians. Selections like this one are often called nativars: they keep the flowers, fruit, and wildlife value of the native species in a size that fits places the species cannot. Browse more Native Plants of North America.
Can it be used as a groundcover?
Yes, that is its main job. Planted 18 to 24 inches apart, the mounds grow together into a dense, even cover. It is not built for foot traffic, so use it where people will not walk: slopes, banks, the strip along a fence, or a wide bed in front of taller shrubs. For more low-growing options, see our Groundcovers.
How is it different from Low Scape Snowfire®?
Low Scape Snowfire® grows 2 to 3 feet tall and is used as a low hedge or border shrub. Low Scape Mound® is the lower of the two, staying around 1 to 2 feet, and is meant to be massed as a groundcover. Both have white spring flowers, black berries, and red-orange fall color.
