black chokeberry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• black chokeberry
• black chokecherry

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aronia arbutifolia var. melanocarpa
• Aronia grandifolia
• Sorbus melanocarpa var. subpubescens
• Mespilus arbutifolia var. melanocarpa
• Aronia arbutifolia var. nigra
• Sorbus pubescens
• Adenorachis melanocarpa
• Adenorachis nigra
• Mespilus arbutifolia var. nigra
• Hahnia arbutifolia var. nigra
• Photinia melanocarpa
• Pyrus angustifolia var. melanocarpa
• Pyrus arbutifolia var. melanocarpa
• Pyrus arbutifolia subsp. nigra
• Aronia melanocarpa var. elata
• Pyrus arbutifolia var. nigra
• Aronia melanocarpa var. grandifolia
• Pyrus grandifolia
• Aronia melanocarpa var. subpubescens
• Aronia melanocarpa var. typica
• Pyrus melanocarpa var. subpubescens
• Pyrus nigra
• Aronia nigra
• Sorbus grandifolia
• Sorbus melanocarpa
• Aronia nigra var. grandifolia
• Pyrus melanocarpa
• Sorbus melanocarpa var. grandifolia
• Aronia nigra pubescens

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Aronia melanocarpa, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae within the order Rosales. Finally, it is a member of the Rosaceae family under the genus Aronia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Aronia melanocarpa, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several northern regions. In Europe, it can be found growing within the borders of Great Britain. Its presence extends significantly into Eastern Canada, where it inhabits the province of New Brunswick. The species is also widely distributed throughout the Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Additionally, this medicinal plant is commonly located within the province of Ontario.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Aronia melanocarpa is characterized by its status as a perennial species, meaning it lives for many years and undergoes a consistent cycle of seasonal growth and dormancy. As a long-lived woody shrub, it does not follow the rapid, single-season completion of annuals or the two-year cycle of biennials, but instead establishes a permanent root system that allows it to persist through multiple growing seasons. Each year, the plant initiates new vegetative growth in the spring, leading to the development of foliage and flowering structures, followed by the maturation of its characteristic dark berries during the summer or autumn months. Following the reproductive phase, the plant enters a period of senescence and dormancy during the colder months, storing essential carbohydrates in its roots to ensure survival and provide the energy necessary for the subsequent year's growth cycle.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Aronia melanocarpa is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, typically reaching an average plant height of 1.8 m. As a terrestrial species, it is non-aquatic and does not function as an epiphyte, instead maintaining an independent lifestyle rather than acting as a parasite. The plant is self-supporting in its structure, lacking the characteristics of a climber, liana, or vine.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1.8 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Aronia melanocarpa is characterized by a robust metabolic framework optimized for temperate environments, most notably through its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly via the enzyme RuBisCO, a process that is highly efficient under moderate temperatures and adequate moisture levels typical of its natural habitats. This metabolic strategy supports the plant's significant production of secondary metabolites, particularly polyphenols and anthocyanins, which serve as physiological defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and environmental pathogens. The plant's water-use efficiency and carbon assimilation rates are closely tied to its stomatal conductance, which modulates gas exchange to balance carbon gain against transpirational water loss. Furthermore, its physiological processes include complex nutrient uptake mechanisms and seasonal dormancy patterns that allow it to thrive amidst fluctuating thermal conditions and varying light intensities.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aronia melanocarpa is characterized by a specific seasonal flowering period and a specialized seed dispersal mechanism. The flowering process typically begins in April and concludes in May, marking the primary reproductive window for the species. Following successful pollination, the plant produces seeds that exhibit a very small mass; the average seed mass is approximately 0.00193675 g, with individual seeds ranging from a minimum of 0.00137 g to a maximum of 0.00304 g. The dispersal of these seeds follows a zoochorous syndrome, meaning they are primarily spread through the movement of animals, which plays a crucial role in the plant's ability to colonize new habitats.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

May

Seed mass max:

0.00304 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00193675 g

Seed mass min:

0.00137 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Aronia melanocarpa has 2 reported plant parts identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, root.

Fruit

1. Nutrients
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology
4. Scientific reports
5. International journal of molecular sciences

Root

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Aronia melanocarpa has 44 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anthocyanins, polyphenols, ANTHOCYANIN, Flavonoids, CHLOROGENIC ACID.

Anthocyanins

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Food chemistry
5. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

polyphenols

1. Nutrients
2. Food chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of medicinal food
5. Food & function

ANTHOCYANIN

1. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology
2. Food chemistry
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of medicinal food

Flavonoids

1. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of medicinal food

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Cyanidin 3-galactoside

1. Frontiers in nutrition
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Neochlorogenic acid

1. Frontiers in nutrition
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

protocatechuic acid

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

(-)-Epicatechin

1. Frontiers in nutrition

ALUMINUM

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Aronia melanocarpa has 8 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, Antimicrobial, Gastroprotective, Hepatoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Food chemistry
4. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiproliferative

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Food chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Acta biochimica Polonica

Gastroprotective

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Folia medica

Hepatoprotective

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Folia medica

Hypoglycemic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology

Antitoxic

1. Biophysical chemistry

Hypolipidemic

1. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Aronia melanocarpa has 36 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include diabetes mellitus, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, Escherichia coli, HDL-cholesterol.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations