Red Chokeberry

Scientific name

Photinia pyrifolia

Description

Red Chokeberry is a shrub species that typically grows about 2.5 m in height. The leaves are alternately arranged, dark green, glossy, elliptic shaped, have light gray coloured undersides, and have finely serrated margins. The flowers are showy, light pink coloured, have five petals, appear in tight clusters, and bloom between April and May. The fruit are shiny, red berries that ripen in the late summer and persist through winter. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. The fruits are also beneficial to wildlife species, like birds and small mammals. The roots are useful for stabilizing shorelines and controlling erosion. This shrub produces attractive fall colours and the berries are edible to humans. However, raw berries have a bitter taste that may make a person choke on it, hence the common name.

Planting conditions

Red Chokeberry grows best in normal to wet conditions with full or partial sun exposure. It grows well in a variety of soil types, including clay and humus. It is tolerant of periodically flooded areas, urban pollution, salt, and dry soils. This shrub can be naturally found in wet forests, around swamps or bogs, on sandy slopes, and along river or lake shorelines.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Max 3m
  • Any
• Moisture level:
  • Dry
  • Normal
  • Moist
  • Wet
  • Flood Tolerant
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
  • Partial sun
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
  • Humus
  • Rocky
• pH:
  • Acidic
  • Basic
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Potted
  • Bareroot
• Plant type:
  • Shrub
• Height:
  • 2.5 m
• Spread:
  • 2 m