Is Red Chokeberry deer resistant?
Aronia arbutifolia
Plant typeShrubHardinessZones 3–9LightPart shade
Mature height72–144 in
BloomSpringMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range25 US states
About Red Chokeberry
Native, tolerant of both wet and dry ground, with white spring flowers, brilliant scarlet autumn colour and red fruit that hangs into winter. The berries are edible but astringent enough to explain the name. It suckers into a colony, which suits a hedgerow better than a border.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Average garden soil
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 47 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Red Chokeberry
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Antelope BitterbrushPurshia tridentataSeldom damaged
- Anthony Waterer SpireaSpiraea x bumaldaZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Apache PlumeFallugia paradoxaZones 6–10Seldom damaged
- Armstrong JuniperJuniperus chinensis 'Armstrongii'Zones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn OliveElaeagnus umbellataZones 4–9Seldom damaged
- Autumn SageSalvia greggiiZones 6–9Seldom damaged
Where Red Chokeberry grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermont
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 25 US states in total.
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Every list Red Chokeberry belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Red Chokeberry
- Is Red Chokeberry deer resistant?
- Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Red Chokeberry grow in?
- Red Chokeberry is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Red Chokeberry grow in shade?
- Yes. Red Chokeberry tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Red Chokeberry get?
- Mature height is roughly 72–144 in. Growth rate is moderate.