Somebody I know got your 'Autumn brilliance' Jafar. Per berry that person reported this year (to me) that one to be the smallest for fruit size. For example seedlings that were given away by Raintree as compliments for meeting a minumum order weighted twice per berry size. Nothing against ornamentals. Just regraft if you want fruit.

My friend loves them lightly stewed over mild heat with honey. I loved it!

Hi Aronia Questors,

I acquired one Aronia as a freebie with a large purchase from Raintree years ago.  It's now big and sprawly and will have to be removed sometime soon (it rooted through the pot's drainage holes), but in the intervening time I took some cuttings and have about 6 new plants to set out when I can decide where they fit best.  When my original Aronia set fruit and I tasted it, it reminded me VERY much of an evergreen shrub native to southern California (Heteromeles arbutifolia):  a bit tart, a bit astringent, rather acidic, but tasty to me nevertheless.  Unfortunately I can't grow Heteromeles up here in the PNW due to hardiness issues, or I would.  Way back when, in southern California -- it must have been about 1983 -- I collected a bunch of ripe Heteromeles fruits and used them in a recipe for cranberry sauce.  Personally, I thought it came out great.  Those fruits were probably the form that occurs on Santa Catalina Island which has a larger fruit than the mainland form.

Anyway, a bit earlier this evening at about dusk after closing our chickens into their coops, I collected handfuls of fruits from the cutting-grown Aronia plants and munched 'em up.  At this time of year, when they're perfectly ripe and still plump (--and before we get a freeze, which makes them insipid--), I just like eating them straight.

I can appreciate the earlier comment about using them in a hard cider for their acidity and tannins.  It's the kind of thing that I would be inclined to do if I didn't have an appropriate mix of apples for a good fermentation and if I didn't mind the cider not being pure apple.  

Right now our local Cedar Waxwings are gorging on the fruits of our cascaras, but once we get our first freeze, they'll be adding Aronia fruits to their diet.  That's why I try to eat them at their prime (--the Aronia fruits, not the Cedar Waxwings).  I've even seen some of our chickens jumping up and plucking off the fruits.  When I eventually get the cutting-grown plants in the ground and established, I'll likely try to use them in some kind of fruit wine, Perhaps with a sweet late-season plum.  Only speculation at this point.  So much work to do on the property.  

I s'pose Aronia fruits are not to everyone's liking, but I believe they're definitely useful and have a place in the home landscape -- if not on their own, then mixed with other fruits.  I'll bet a home-made Aronia sorbet would be outstanding!

Reinettes (i.e., Tim)

P.S -- I don't get online much anymore, but I'll try to check back in for any comments.  I noticed the topic today when I checked for the date of the fruit-tasting this month.  All best wishes to those who plant and cultivate and appreciate the fruits of the earth.

Hi davem,

I've never actually seen Aronia arbutifolia or seen it listed in a catalog.  I'm only guessing when I make the assumption that the fruits are probably a bit tarter and, perhaps, more tannic.  With such things considered, could it possibly be used in a similar way to A. melanocarpa?  There are only three species of Aronia (the third being A. prunifolia) and all are native to eastern North America.  From what I understand it was in eastern Europe where "our" native A. melanocarpa was selected for sweeter and larger fruits.  

I hope someone else on the forum has some experience with it and can offer advice.  On the other hand, I've been enjoying the bright reddish fall colour on my melanocarpas as we've already had a couple of light frosts.  Curious as to whether your A. arbutifolia also gets beautiful fall color.  (That's one of the things that I like about most of the blueberries that I grow:  their contributions to the autumn spectrum as we descend into our long, rainy, chilly winters.  Those can really bum me out at times.)

Reinettes

I've grown Aronia for about 20 odd years. Purchased, cultivars, and seed grown from wild-collected (pine barrens NJ). the cultivars are never grafted. Softwood cuttings, layers and division work but also as it turns out, and there is a name for this, the seed comes relatively true. So the 'Viking' seed of A. melanocarpa are all big fruit! like 60 per cup. 'Nero' is a little smaller and 'Autumn Magic' is quite small but packed with flavor, not water. 

    A. arbutifolia and prunifolia are similar though the fruit is inferior. Fall color is exceptional for all. Growing conditions: Sugar (13-14%) is highest in the sun. They can handle any conditions except forest fire. Swamp, or 3 months dry. Fruit desicates on the bush in mediterranean -west coast- areas. Still waiting for the birds to be a problem. Near my 60 bushes are several Elderberry and the Cedar Waxwing prefer these and Amelanchier(400 bushes) The birds on the Amelanchier actually make 'raisins' by breaking the skin, thus they dry on the tree and fail to drop yielding fruit to the birds all winter.

There is a critter like the sawfly on a gooseberry that consume the leaves in no time. here's a photo

Holy Toledo, Peck o' fruit!  Looking at your photo I can practically "hear" munching sounds!  It's like the complete opposite of a WWII assembly line!  

I presume that you're within the natural range of the species, so this presumably would be a natural, native phyllophage pest?  Thank God we don't have those things here in our area.  Have you figured out what species it might be?  I can't remember the larval distinctions between sawflies vs. butterflies and moths.  If you figure out which species those larvae belong to, please let us know.  Your photo looks like a biblical plague!  I think you need more gleaning-type birds on your place!

Reinettes

Peckofruit appears to be in Snohomish.

I have tried to grow red currants or gooseberries 3 widely separate times over the past 25 years and every time the sawfly larvae would strip the lush plants. These were purchased bare root.

Some older plantings in the neighborhood are never chewed, others are.

Fly larvae have a pair of prolegs on nearly every abdominal segment (6 to 8 pairs); Lepidoptera have 2 to 5 pairs, some abdominal segments are always missing prolegs. The larvae in the above picture have the typical Hymenopteran leg count.

The problem with letting these fruits bloom and set fruit here is that the fruit is then promptly attacked by fruit flies. SWD in the caneberries is not nearly the problem for me as these two pests.