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Aronia melanocarpa

(Michx.) Ell.

Black Chokeberry

G5Secure Found in 24 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156650
Element CodePDROS06020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyRosaceae
GenusAronia
Synonyms
Photinia melanocarpa(Michx.) Robertson & PhippsPyrus melanocarpa(Michx.) Willd.
Other Common Names
Aronie à fruits noirs (FR) black chokeberry (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (vol. 9, 2014) transfers Photinia melanocarpa (name used by Kartesz 1999) to Aronia melanocarpa.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-08
Change Date1984-02-09
Edition Date2024-08-08
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Aronia melanocarpa is a shrub occurring in swamps, bogs, thickets, shorelines, beaver-ponds, woodlands, wet mountain forests, and rock outcrops of eastern North America from Ontario east to Newfoundland, Canada, south to Georgia, and west to Arkansas, and north to Minnesota in the United States. There are 1,500 estimated occurrences of this species, which are threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and succession. With a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Aronia melanocarpa occurs in eastern North America from Ontario east to Newfoundland, Canada, south to Georgia, and west to Arkansas, and north to Minnesota in the United States (FNA 2014, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be over 1,500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Aronia melanocarpa is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Aronia melanocarpa occurs in "swamps, bogs, wet thickets, margins of ponds and lakes, beaver ponds, woods, moist high-elevation forests, [and on] rock outcrops" (FNA 2014).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IndianaSUYes
AlabamaSNRYes
ArkansasS1Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MissouriS1Yes
MichiganSNRYes
IowaS1Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MississippiSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
DelawareSHYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (24)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
DeliriumHiawatha National Forest190
New Hampshire (6)
AreaForestAcres
KearsargeWhite Mountain National Forest4,554
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2014b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 9. Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 713 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.