The red chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia , meets this challenge by satisfying myriad consumer whims. Red chokeberry kicks off spring with white flowers in April-May while the leaves are just beginning to unfurl and expand.
Foliage is lustrous green and relatively pest free.
Although some diseases and insects can be found reported in the literature, I have only witnessed slight leaf spot on the foliage during prolonged wet periods in the spring or summer. The leaves actually become more attractive with cold weather, changing to a brilliant reddish-purple cast in late October. A cultivar, 'Brilliantissima,' merits attention for its propensity to bear more, larger and glossier red fruits. This selection also bears more flowers and has superior foliage that is stunning red in the fall. There is no doubt in my mind that its fall color rivals that of any Rhus or Itea .