The black chokeberry ‘Ground Hug’ (Aronia melanocarpa) is the lowest-growing variety of chokecherry, enthusiastically hugging the ground and spreading quickly to create a groundcover dotted with scattered, vitamin-rich black berries.

After a nectar-filled bloom that lights up against the dark, healthy leaves, the fruits have the chance to mature as the foliage turns red in anticipation of frost. More for you to enjoy: the birds and even the neighboring children are not tempted by these dark, tart fruits, which resemble blueberries without the sweetness, being astringent and slightly bitter but packed with anthocyanin pigments. They make an excellent natural food coloring when dried into powder or juiced as a powerful antioxidant. It is particularly valuable in savory dishes, maple desserts, pairing well with spices, the mild bitterness of chocolate, and sweeter fruits.

Never seen ravaged by disease or pests, it guarantees significant harvests year after year, which can be gathered quickly and efficiently, requiring little more maintenance than pruning the older branches that are less likely to bear fruit. Resilient, the black chokeberry ‘Ground Hug’ perfectly embodies our ideal of maximum harvest for minimal effort.

It prevents erosion along riparian zones, tolerates salt spray and drought, and adapts to marshy soils, withstanding both hot and cold temperatures. Self-pollinating.