Deciduous Perennial Mounded, Compact in the Rosaceae Family
Buy Iroquois Beauty Black Chokeberry
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Notes
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A Morton Arboretum introduction: fragrant white spring flowers, glossy foliage that turns fiery orange-red in fall, and black berries that feed the birds all winter.
Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton' (Iroquois Beauty™) is a compact black chokeberry selected by The Morton Arboretum from a wild Illinois population and introduced through the Chicagoland Grows® program. It forms a rounded, mounded shrub, notably shorter and wider than the straight species. In May, it produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers that draw bees and other pollinators, set against glossy dark green summer foliage. In fall the foliage turns a bright orange to deep red, and the clusters of black, berry-like fruit that follow the flowers persist into winter, feeding birds and other wildlife. Because it spreads gradually by root suckers, it's best used massed or toward the back of a border rather than as a single specimen.
Pros
Compact, mounded native selection — shorter and easier to place than the straight species
Fragrant white spring flowers, glossy summer foliage, and reliable orange-to-red fall color
Exceptionally tolerant of wet, boggy soil — a strong choice for rain gardens
Persistent berries feed birds well into winter
Cons
Spreads by root suckers over time and can look leggy at the base without occasional pruning
Best sited toward the back of a border or in a mass rather than as a tidy single specimen
Berries are edible but tart/astringent fresh, not a snacking fruit
Highlights
A Morton Arboretum selection prized for its compact, mounded form, fragrant spring flowers, and reliable orange-red fall color on a plant that tolerates wet soil better than almost any other flowering shrub.
Plant Data
Mature Size
24 - 36 inches
tall. 4 - 5 feet
wide.
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Medium - Wet:
One of the more moisture-flexible shrubs available — thrives in evenly moist, average garden soil but also tolerates consistently wet or boggy conditions, making it a strong choice for rain gardens and low-lying areas.
Zones
3a - 8b
(Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags
Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Deciduous, Fall Color, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Medium, Most Popular, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Shrub, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Pairs well with other native wet-tolerant plants such as winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium) in a rain garden or naturalistic planting.
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Estimated Recipe Cost
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
No Pricing or Availability Right Now
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!
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