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Aronia x prunifolia 'Nero'

Aronia x prunifolia Nero
Aronie à gros fruits

4,9/5
11 reviews
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Very lovely little bush that regrows well.

Fanny, 29/04/2023

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

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Value-for-money
A variety of hybrid chokeberry selected in Russia for its black-purple fruits of a good size, with a sweeter taste and great nutritional value. Slightly astringent when fresh, the fruits, which are harvested in October, are also consumed in the form of delicious jellies, pastries, fruit syrups or jams. This deciduous bush also offers stunning autumn colours. Very hardy, it can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in any deep, moist soil, preferably non-limestone.
Flavour
Sour
Height at maturity
1.75 m
Spread at maturity
1.25 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Self-fertilising
Best planting time September to November
Recommended planting time January to March, October to December
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Flowering time April to May
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Harvest time September to October
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Description

Aronia 'Nero' is a variety of hybrid chokeberry selected in Russia for its large fruits and sweeter taste. This bush, whose 'super fruits' are highly consumed in Asia, bears beautiful clusters of berries with high nutritional value, resembling large blueberries or black currants, which are harvested when fully ripe in September-October. Slightly astringent when fresh, they can be used to make delicious jellies, pastries, fruit syrups, or jams. Besides its fruiting, this deciduous bush also offers abundant white and honey-scented flowering in spring and stunning autumn colors. Very hardy, it can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in any deep, preferably non-calcareous soil.

 

Aronia 'Nero', obtained in the 20th century by the Soviet botanist Vladimirovitch Michurin, has the genes of Aronia melanocarpa, the black-fruited chokeberry, and those of Aronia arbutifolia, the arbutus-leaved chokeberry. It is now extensively planted in Eastern European countries to meet the demand of the Asian market. Native to Canada and the northeastern United States, Aronia plants are very cold-resistant and thrive in cool, slightly acidic soils. Aronia is a distant cousin of roses, plum trees, and blackberries, a member of the vast family of Rosaceae.

'Nero' forms a sparsely branched sucker-forming bush with an open habit, reaching about 1.75m (5ft 8in) in height and 1.25m (4ft) in width, sometimes more depending on growing conditions. It shows rather slow growth in its early years. Its bark is smooth, reddish-brown. It bears alternate, simple, ovate, finely toothed leaves, 4 to 5cm (1.6 to 2in) long, with a satiny dark green colour, which truly flame up in autumn, adopting various shades of orange, copper, crimson red, or violet. In April-May, its white flowers speckled with pale pink, 2cm (0.8 in) in diameter, appear. Gathered in corymbs, they are very numerous, highly fragrant and very honey-scented. They give way to clusters of round fruits, 1.5cm (0.6in) in diameter, green-purple in colour, which become blackish-purple and shiny, while their peduncles turn red. This fruiting, slightly acidic but juicy and rich in antioxidants, lasts quite long into winter if not consumed by birds. 'Nero' is a self-fertile variety: a single plant is sufficient to obtain a plentiful harvest.

 

Naturally highly resistant to diseases and pests, Aronia is an excellent free-standing hedge bush, both hardy, ornamental, and undemanding. While it can tolerate poor soils, it will only reach its full potential in non-calcareous, cool, deep, slightly acidic soil. It can be planted individually, in a free-standing hedge, countryside hedgerow, or large shrub beds. To achieve a spectacular mass effect, plant it in groups of 3 to 6 plants of the same variety. This 'Nero' chokeberry can be combined in a hedge that is both beautiful and tasty with other small fruit bushes, foliage plants, or flowering plants such as apple trees, plum trees, ornamental cherry trees, male dogwood, hedge honeysuckle, serviceberries, Goumi, anemone trees, May berries, sea buckthorn, Goji, and blueberries. Plenty of options to create vitamin-packed cocktails for the whole family!

Aronia fruits can be consumed fresh, cooked, in jam, or in juice, for example mixed with cranberry juice and apple juice. Chinese pharmacopoeia attributes medicinal properties and beneficial properties for human health to the berries of this fruit variety. The richness in polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, vitamins B and C (three times more than oranges), minerals, and fibres make Aronia berries one of the most interesting small fruits from a nutritional point of view.

Aronia x prunifolia 'Nero' in pictures

Aronia x prunifolia 'Nero'  (Flowering) Flowering
Aronia x prunifolia 'Nero'  (Foliage) Foliage
Aronia x prunifolia 'Nero'  (Harvest) Harvest

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.75 m
Spread at maturity 1.25 m
Growth rate slow

Fruit

Fruit colour violet
Fruit diameter 2 cm
Flavour Sour
Use Table, Jam, Patisserie, Cooking
Harvest time September to October

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time April to May
Inflorescence Corymb
Flower size 2 cm
Fragrance slightly scented
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Aronia

Species

x prunifolia

Cultivar

Nero

Family

Rosaceae

Other common names

Aronie à gros fruits

Origin

North America

Product reference8548111

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Planting and care

Aronia 'Nero' is preferably planted in early autumn in a good fertile, non-calcareous garden soil. While it is relatively tolerant, it prefers deep, moist, light and slightly acidic soils. Plant it in a sunny, non-scorching or partially shaded position. In the shade, the colors are duller and the fruiting is less abundant and less tasty. The hardiness of this bush is excellent, even in moist soil. Mulch and water well to help it establish, especially in the first summers. Remove excess suckers that hinder fruiting. Prune the oldest branches at the end of winter. It is naturally resistant to diseases and parasites but can sometimes be susceptible to rust. 

Planting period

Best planting time September to November
Recommended planting time January to March, October to December

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge
Type of use Border, Hedge
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Deep, fertile, well-tilled.

Care

Pruning instructions Remove any excessive suckers in late winter, which could hinder fruit-bearing and invade the space. Prune back the oldest branches to encourage the growth of younger, more fruit-bearing shoots.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March
Soil moisture Wet
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,9/5
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