About Aronia

General Fruit Growing
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This came from the University of Wisconsin:

Viking’ and other European selections may not be pure strains of Aronia melanocarpa. Aronia can hybridize readily with Sorbus. One of the Carandale test plot fruits (Ivan’s beauty) is an inter-generic hybrid between Sorbus aucparia and Aronia melanocarpa. It is likely that ‘Viking’ is a backcross to Aronia melancarpa from a similar hybrid. If this is the case, there is the possibility of selecting new Aronia cultivars that have broader adaptability and lower tannin content for better consumer preference.

A clue that ‘Viking’ might not be a pure strain of Aronia melancarpa is that it prefers a dryer upland environment, while most native wild aronia are found in a wetland environment. Genetic testing being done by Dr. Mark Brand at the University of Connecticut also suggests that European selections are not pure strains.

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Interesting. I’ve heard that suggested before. I bet that explains the varied response to the fruit!

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Viking still likes water because only small wetter sections of my property can grow them. I believe they are a cross and it’s to bad they are sterile. Many times when those type of hybrids are made the result is sterile.

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They actually do set viable seed, but it is mostly apomictic and produces clones of the parent. That doesn’t mean the hybrid Aronia couldn’t still be used as pollen parents in breeding.

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Those Sorbus hybrids were bred by in Russia by Ivan Michurin. Are they suggesting that ‘Viking’ was an unintended or open pollinated backcross? If there had been some intention at play, why would they be trying to guess?

There are other Sorbus hybrids bred by Michurin, including several Sorbus x Mespilus. Also, there are historical chance hybrids of Sorbus x Pyrus. I’ve not heard of any of these freely crossing with their parent. I’ve been curious about them for a while, and may try to get some from GRIN at some point for evaluation. I do have a Shipova tree. It hasn’t flowered or fruited, and is known to be shy bearing from what I’ve read.

I’ve tried plenty of wild Aronia. The fruit is juicy but quite tannic. I dont believe it to be markedly less tannic than cultivated selections of Sorbus. I guess I don’t see the logic there, as it sounds like they’re saying that Aronia on its own isn’t full of tannin.

I’d also question the validity of this observation. In my observations, the range of phenotypes of this supposed single species- Aronia melanocarpa- is quite varied. Sure, they are common in wetlands, etc. But I’ve observed upland forms in several locales. This is a common feature of many wetland plants, that they can often ironically be found in very dry places. It makes sense if you think of it terms of stress tolerance as opposed to the more commonly held view that a given plant prefers excess water, or lack of water, etc.

In the Adirondacks, a dwarf suckering form is very common, often growing with wintergreen and bunchberry on very shallow marginal acidic soil. It is wiry and has very little vigor. It bears small quantities of very small fruits from its sparse widely spaced stems. I have specimens here that were collected from that area. Another sort I’ve observed has a similar habit as lowbush blueberry. Much of the upper 1/2 of Mt. Monadnock, a popular and beautiful solitary peak in SW New Hampshire is carpeted with this lowbush type of Aronia that grows directly on bedrock outcrops. It’s stem density is very high, and forms dense pure stands that blanket the knobby granite. I haven’t tried the fruit, but I’ve seen it flower.

McKenzie Aronia, meanwhile, has a clumping habit and gets perhaps 10-12’ tall, from what I understand. Mine are more like 7’. It’s berries are quite good, IMO at least as large and tasty as Viking or Nero, and you can (or at least could) buy it in conservation grade bundles for shelter belt plantings, etc. I had ‘Viking’ and ‘Nero’ at one point too, but they didn’t appreciate the care I gave them, and I’ve either lost track of them or they’ve died. McKenzie is tough and the extra vigor makes it easier to propagate and establish.

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