My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Red Chokeberry deer resistant?

Aronia arbutifolia

Red chokeberry fruit clusters
Photo by Abrahami, CC BY-SA 2.5. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 3–9
Light
Part shade
Height
72–144 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Low
Native range
25 US states

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Red Chokeberry

Native, tolerant of both wet and dry ground, with white spring flowers, brilliant scarlet fall color 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 bed.

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.

Where Red Chokeberry grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 25 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Red Chokeberry

Is Red Chokeberry deer resistant?
Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. 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.

Browse from here

Every list Red Chokeberry belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 3·Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .