Black chokeberry seeds

Black chokeberry / Aronia melanocarpa - is a highly branched shrub, up to 2-3 meters high. Its root system is placed very close to the soil surface. The crown of young specimens is very compact, but in an adult shrub it can reach a diameter of about 200 centimeters. Young stems are colored brown-red, which eventually changes to dark gray. One-piece simple leaves plates of an elliptical shape are alternately arranged and have a city-toothed edge. In length, they reach 4-8 centimeters, and in width - 3-5 centimeters. The front surface of the leaves is glossy, dark green leathery, and the wrong side has a whitish color, which is associated with the presence of pubescence.

From mid-September, the color of the foliage changes to red-purple. Corymbose dense inflorescences consist of fragrant flowers of pale pink or white color, which have purple anthers. Flowering begins from mid-May to early June. Glossy fruits of spherical shape can be painted black-purple or purple, and there is a bluish coating on their surface. Their ripening is observed in August or September. In a wild plant, the mass of fruits, as a rule, is not more than 1.5 grams, while in cultivated varieties they are not so small.

Such a plant is cultivated as a medicinal, fruit and ornamental.

Medicinal raw materials are fresh fruits - lat. Fructus Aroniae melanocarpae recens. Collection is carried out in September - the first half of October. Dried berries under the right conditions can be stored for up to 5 years without losing the medicinal properties of the plant.

The flowers produce pollen and secrete nectar and are well visited by bees.