Chokeberry - Red (Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima')
ah-ROE-nee-ah ar-bew-tih-FOE-lee-ah 'Brilliantissima'

Deciduous Perennial Oval in the Rosaceae Family
A heavier-flowering, extra-showy selection of Red Chokeberry, prized for brilliant scarlet fall foliage and clusters of bright red berries that persist into winter.

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' is a selection of Red Chokeberry prized for its especially heavy flowering and brilliant fall color. In mid-to-late spring it bears abundant clusters of white flowers, followed by glossy green summer foliage that turns brilliant scarlet in autumn — a display often compared to Burning Bush. Clusters of bright red berries follow the flowers and persist on the shrub well into winter, providing food for birds long after the leaves have dropped.

Like the species, it is adaptable to a wide range of soils, from boggy to average well-drained conditions, and performs best in full sun to part shade, with the heaviest fruiting in full sun.

Pros

  • Brilliant scarlet fall color, among the best of any native shrub
  • Abundant bright red berries persist into winter, feeding birds
  • Tolerates wet, boggy soil as well as average garden conditions
  • Virtually pest- and disease-free

Cons

  • Suckers and spreads to form a colony over time
  • Can be leggy at the base if not massed or underplanted
  • Fruit is astringent and not palatable eaten fresh
Highlights A heavy-flowering, extra-showy Red Chokeberry selection combining brilliant scarlet fall foliage with persistent bright red winter berries.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 8 feet tall. 4 - 6 feet wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet: Widely Adaptable
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Deciduous, Fall Color, Full Sun, Medium, Most Popular, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Shrub, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant Fall Color Shrubs, Fast Growing Shrubs, White Flowering Shrubs
Bloom Period April to May
Flower Color White
Foliage Color Green
 

Awards
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other moisture-tolerant native shrubs and perennials such as winterberry holly, red-twig dogwood, switchgrass, and swamp milkweed.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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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.


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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!