Evan Lentz, a commercial fruit crops assistant Extension educator with UConn, recently spoke about Aronia berries at the New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference. The Aronia berry has “been around for quite a while now, but it’s retained its kind of novel-niche status,” Lentz said.

A lot of people don’t know what the Aronia berry is, and there are currently no standard production practices in place for growing them.

Aronia berries have “limited fresh-market appeal,” as they have a very dry flavor when raw. This undesirable taste is where its nickname “chokeberry” comes from. The berry tends to have “a really nice flavor once they’re processed and a lot of sugar is added,” Lentz said, and once processed, it can be found in jams, jellies, energy drinks, juice, wines and more.

Lentz has noticed “the more we work with [Aronia berries], the more we see some emerging issues.” There are primarily three species of Aronia berries, commonly known as the red, black and purple chokeberries, but the most common species grown for fruit production is a hybrid known as ‘Viking.’ The ‘Viking’ has a higher water content that helps with the undesirable dry flavor of the fruit.

Aronia berries are highly adaptive to a wide range of environments and can tolerate a pH range of 5.0 – 8.5. The crop can be grown for a variety of reasons including ornamental benefits, nutraceutical (providing health benefits) and for fruit production. Lentz became interested in this crop due to its nutraceutical status, and these health benefits can be used to market the fruit to customers.

‘Viking’ Aronia does not have its first significant crop until year three of production, but providing higher levels of phosphorus can lead to earlier branching. Lentz conducted a three-year study to see the benefits of pruning these plants and thinning their shoots.

He determined that pruning only needs to be done when there’s a marked decrease of fruit production, which doesn’t usually occur until year eight of production. He did find that pruning can help concentrate the fruits into one area on the plant, making picking and harvesting easier. Lentz did not find any benefits to thinning the shoots, as any removed immediately grew back the following year.

Ripe Aronia berries. Photo courtesy of KJM Berries & Nut Farm

There are many different ways to harvest Aronia berries, and the method depends on “the size and scale of what you have going on.” They can be harvested with a mechanical harvester, by hand or even through a U-pick events.

When it comes to pest issues, Lentz has only noticed generalized pests, not any specific to Aronia. He mentioned that fruit dropping was common during dry years, and “it was pretty much widespread across the whole orchard.” This crop will have to be properly irrigated to prevent fruit dropping.

One of the most challenging factors of growing Aronia berries is developing a market. Lentz explained, “This crop is not going to be for everyone.” Potential customers must be exposed to the crop and educated about its benefits. He recommended offering recipes for how to use Aronia berries, and prioritizing the final fruit quality you are selling.

Overall, the Aronia berry is forgiving and tolerant during growth, but thoughtful consideration is required for marketing the product.