Aronia (melanocarpa)
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Randall Lester Assistant Manager USDA NRCS - Appalachian Plant Materials Center P.O. Box 390 Alderson, West Virginia 24910 304-445-3005 304-445-7049 (fax) randall.lester@wv.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wvpmc |
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| Family Scientific Name: | Rosaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Rose family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Aronia melanocarpa | ||
| Common Name: | Black chokeberry | ||
| Species Code: | ARME6 | ||
| Ecotype: | Monongahela National Forest | ||
| General Distribution: | Black chokeberry is widely distributed in the eastern half of the continental US and Canada. | ||
| Known Invasiveness: | Not known to be invasive in the US. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | Plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | Seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Time To Grow: | 3 years | ||
| Target Specifications: | A well developed plant suitable for transplanting with at least 12" of top growth and a healthy root system. | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Fruit was collected from multiple plants within the boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest from existing populations. The fruit was allowed to mature on the plant before harvesting as indicated by the black color of the fruit. Fruit was collected in late September. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | No pretreatment was necessary. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Pro-mix BX with biofungicide was moistened and placed in heavy plastic trays. The soil was compacted somewhat to prepare a firm seedbed. | ||
| Establishment Phase: | Seed was spread evenly on the soil surface and then covered with 1/4 inch of additional soil. Once seeded, the trays were moved to the cooler (34 degrees) for 3 months for cold, moist stratification. | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | After cold stratification, the trays were moved directly to the greenhouse (approximately 70 degrees) for the germination phase. Black chokeberry is slow to germinate. Seedlings began to emerge after 3 weeks in the greenhouse. Once the seedlings developed sufficient root systems, they were transplanted into quart plastic containers filled with Metro-mix 510 growing media. | ||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 2 years | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Plants were moved to the shadehouse to allow for hardening off before shipping. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 2 weeks | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | Plants with sufficient top growth and root development were shipped back to the Monongahela National Forest for transplanting. Trailers were covered with tarps to prevent excessive wind burn damage. | ||
| Length of Storage: | 1 day | ||
| Outplanting performance on typical sites: | Black chokeberry is adaptable to various habitats. It performs well in low, wet areas and on drier sites with sandy soils. It flourishes in full sun but can withstand partial shade. This plant is known to produce an abundance of suckers so it can form large colonies under ideal growing conditions. | ||
| Other Comments: | |||
| References: | USDA, NRCS. 2012. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 July 2012). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. | ||
Citation:
Lester, Randall; Vandevender, John. 2017. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Aronia melanocarpa Plants USDA NRCS - Appalachian Plant Materials Center Alderson, West Virginia. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/05/04). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
