''Aronia × prunifolia'', called the purple chokeberry, is a North American hybrid shrub of ''

Aronia arbutifolia ''Aronia arbutifolia'', called the red chokeberry, is a North American species of shrubs in the rose family. It is native to eastern Canada and to the eastern and central United States, from eastern Texas to Nova Scotia inland to Ontario, Ohio, Ke ...

'' × ''

Aronia melanocarpa ''Aronia'' is a genus of deciduous shrubs, the chokeberries, in the family Rosaceae native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. The genus Aronia is considered to have 3 species. The most common and wid ...

'' in the

rose family Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but some ...

. It is native to eastern Canada and to the eastern and central United States, from

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

west to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, south as far as western

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

with an isolated population reported in southern

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. Some authors consider this to be a hybrid rather than a full-fledged species but it does grow in places where neither parent is present (most of Michigan for example). This independence merits acceptance as a full species. This sort of thing is not unusual; many species of plants originated as hybrids. ''Aronia × prunifolia'' is a branching shrub forming clumps by means of stems forming from the roots. Flowers are white or pink, producing purple fruits. The fruits are very astringent - widely considered unpalatable - when raw, but can be used to make jams and jellies. The common name "Chokeberry" refers to the phenomenon that tasting the raw fruits can cause choking.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q160492 × prunifolia Flora of Eastern Canada Flora of the United States Plants described in 1785 Taxa named by Alfred Rehder