Aronia melanocarpa Revontuli Mound

The Aronia melanocarpa Revontuli Mound is a particularly compact form of black-fruited Aronia that allows you to enjoy this bush full of advantages even in gardens where space is limited. The plant forms a small mound wider than it is tall, adorned with white, decorative, and honey-bearing spring blooms, then with black and edible  berries with a flavour and appearance resembling blackcurrants. It is at the end of the season that one will appreciate the most this Aronia adorned with beautiful autumn colours and loaded with small black berries. Its cultivation presents no difficulty in ordinary soil, in a sunny exposure to accentuate its colours.

Native to Canada and the northeastern United States, the Aronia melanocarpa is a distant cousin of roses, plum trees, and brambles, a member of the vast rose family. 'Revontuli Mound' is a recent horticultural variety obtained in the USA by Proven Winners. Very cold-resistant, this bush, reaches an average height of 50 cm (19.7 in) with a spread of 75 cm (29.5 in). It has a slow growth and has a low, spreading, well-branched habit. Its bark is smooth, reddish-brown. It bears beautiful deciduous foliage. Its alternating leaves are simple, ovate, finely indented, about 4-5 cm (1.6-2 in) long, of a dark green satin colour. They truly blaze in autumn before falling, adopting different shades of orange, copper, crimson red, and violet. In April-May, white flowers with pink stamens appear, measuring 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter. Gathered in corymbs, they are very numerous, slightly fragrant and honey-bearing. They give way to clusters of round berries of a greeni-purple colour that become black-purple and shiny while their peduncles turn red. This edible fruit with a slightly tart flavour persists quite a long time in winter if not consumed by birds.

Naturally very resistant to diseases and parasites, Aronia melanocarpa Revontuli Mound Proven Winners is a small bush that is both hardy, favourable to biodiversity, compact, and undemanding. It easily fits into shrub and perennial borders, or even in a pot on the terrace. To achieve a mass effect, plant it in groups of 3 to 5 shrubs. This Aronia can be combined with other flowering and fruit-bearing shrubs, for example, with hedge honeysuckles, Goumi du Japon, May berries, raspberries, Goji, and other blueberries.

The Aronia fruits can be consumed fresh, cooked, as jam, or as juice that can be mixed, for example, with cranberry and apple juice.