What is Aronia?

Aronia is a Genus of plants (Shrubs and small trees) native to Northern America but now spread throughout the temperate zones of the world. Aronia is best known for one of the three following reasons:

1. A fruit called “Black Chokeberry” grows upon Aronia Melanocarpa, which is one of the best known sources on the planet for concentrated antioxidants, including the very beneficial Anthocyanin. (Some estimates show it with over 20 TIMES more anthocyanin content (gram for gram in powdered form) than the next closest fruit, the Acai berry!)

2.  

3. The same fruit is well known in the Ink and Dye industries for hundreds of years since it is the source of one of the world's darkest natural dyes.

4.  

5. All three families of Aronia: Aronia Melanocarpa, Aronia Arbutifolia, and Aronia Prunifolia, make excellent landscaping plants with colorful berries and flowers. (Most notably aronia arbutifolia, with it's very bright red berries that happen to taste great, right off the tree!)

Where can I buy some aronia?

If you would like to purchase some aronia berries and you live in the United States, your best bet would be to attend a Farmers market in the late fall or early winter months. Since aronia melanocarpa is too bitter to eat without being sweetened first it is unlikely to ever find the berries in your local supermarket.

There are also many juices sold online and through direct marketing companies that include aronia juice in them, such as Orenda's Oki juice.

However, if you'd like to buy some aronia plants or seeds to grow your own aronia, you would likely be able to purchase them at any respectable outdoor botanical nursery, as aronia plants are very commonly used as outdoor shrubs.

If you live near Russia or Eastern Europe, it is also equally as popular, perhaps even more so in juice forms.