Plant of the Week: Low Scape Mound™ Aronia

This week Jane brings you a fun little landscape plant that also happens to be our 2019 Landscape Shrub of the Year! Even though it's marketed as a landscape plant, I think this little shrub has great potential in home gardens, too - since I've yet to meet a gardener that doesn't like a few group plantings that are beautiful all season and absolutely worry-free.

Enjoy!    - Natalie 

Low Scape Mound™ Aronia

We have a lot of plants. Seriously, A LOT of plants. So we like to highlight a few really special ones each year to be sure that folks know about them. This year's Landscape Shrub of the Year is an exciting new variety of a genus that may be kind of new to you as well, at least for landscaping. It's Low Scape Mound™ Aronia melanocarpa.

Low Scape Hedger™ Aronia

Low Scape Mound™ chokeberry is smaller than other varieties - it's just 1-2' tall and wide. This makes it a great size for many landscape uses. (If you need something a little bigger, check out its sister plant, Low Scape Hedger™).

Low Scape Mound™ Aronia fruit

While Aronia breeding has historically focused upon fruit production, the Low Scape® plants come from a breeding program that pursues the ornamental appeal of the genus. With its pretty flowers and bright fall foliage, there was a lot of potential there, and we're very happy that Dr. Mark Brand of the University of Connecticut developed this outstanding plant.

Why get excited about Aronia melanocarpa?

Where should I begin? Truthfully, much of our excitement about the plant comes from the fact that it checks a lot of the boxes for our customers:

• Compact
• Adaptable to most soils, including wet, dry and somewhat compacted
• Salt tolerant
• Can be planted in sun or partial shade
• Hardy - USDA 3-9
• Multi-season interest
• Native
• Supports wildlife populations - the birds like the fruit although they may not get around to eating it until later in the season

One thing about wildlife: although this isn't at the top of the deer menu, they do like the flower tips and may nibble those in some areas. If you aren't concerned with berry production hopefully you will be OK. If you're looking for a plant for fruit production you'll get better results with a variety developed for that purpose, like 'Viking'.

Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles.