Iroquois Beauty™ Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton')

Iroquois Beauty™ Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton') is a compact, mounding deciduous shrub with tidy, glossy dark green foliage. Leaves shift from yellow to deep red in fall, adding seasonal color to the landscape.

Clusters of fragrant white flowers bloom in late spring, followed by small, edible dark purple berries that ripen from late summer through fall and can be used in jams. The species is native to eastern North America, including northern Georgia.

Growing details

• Plant type: Deciduous shrub
• Species origin: Eastern North America, including northern Georgia
• Mature height: 2–3 feet
• Mature spread: 4–5 feet
• Spacing: Approximately 4.5 feet apart
• Hardiness: USDA zones 3–8
• Light: Full sun to part sun; best fruit production in full sun
• Soil: Average, well-drained soil; tolerates boggy conditions
• Flowers: Fragrant white clusters in late spring
• Fruit: Dark purple berries from late summer through fall
• Fall foliage: Yellow to deep red
• Cultivar: 'Morton'

Care and garden use

This low-maintenance shrub can spread by suckers. Remove suckers where colonial spread is unwanted. Watch for leaf spot and twig or fruit blight.

Use as a specimen shrub, in grouped plantings, naturalized areas, wildlife gardens, or woodland gardens. Pair with eastern redbud, dogwood, or beautyberry for seasonal contrast.

Image credit: Photoset by Plants Nouveau, Aronia melanocarpa Iroquois Beauty™. Plants naturally vary in appearance and may differ from the images shown.