Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa. 18"-24" bare root seedlings.
Black chokeberry is an adaptable shrub with hardiness and wide tolerance to a variety of soil textures, densities, pH levels and moisture conditions. Because of suckering and its tolerance to wet soils, this species is typically used in mass planting, in naturalized and woodland gardens, for erosion control, in windbreaks and in excessively wet soils.
Black chokeberry can also be used as an edible fruit crop although the fruit is too astringent to eat raw.
The high-antioxidant fruit is used in baking and to make jams, jellies, syrup, tea, juice and wine. Fruit can persist into winter and serves as a food source for birds and other wildlife.
In spring, it has showy white flower clusters. In autumn, leaves change from green to vibrant tones of red, orange and purple. - University of Minnesota