Aronia Arbutifolia

Aronia Arbutifolia is the scientific name for the Genus and species of Red Chokeberry plant. Red chokeberries grow on short trees that are close in appearance to their black-berried cousins, however the beautiful berries are very bright red and sure to catch your eye.

This is why aronia arbutifolia is almost always used as a decorative landscaping tree, as their nutritional offerings pale in comparison to aronia melanocarpa. Add to this the fact that this tree can grow further south, and that it does very well growing underneath bigger trees (including the lack of sunlight that implies) and it's easy to see why red chokeberries have been the most popular aronia plant in the United States over the last century.

Yes, those bright, red berries are edible, and in fact are the only aronia berries you can eat without sweetening them first! (Ok, so they won't win the best-tasting-fruit award, but they make a great jelly or pie.)