Aronia plant: Snow white, pine green, fiery red
The various faces of the fascinating aronia plant
Aronia berries are a great fruit. But what does the plant that produces this fruit look like? Green as a pine tree, white as snow, and red as fire - it shows a lot of different faces as the seasons change. Thus, aronia bushes are a striking addition to any balcony or garden.
In general, the aronia plant grows to be one to three meters tall. The exact size depends on the type and quality of soil, as well as whether the plant is grown in a pot or in the ground.
Blossoms: Bright white and similar to apple blossoms
Spring starts late for the aronia plant. Only once the heralds of spring are in full bloom in May does the aronia plant open its buds. This frequently spares them from late frosts. Bright white blossoms emerge, grouped in clusters of up to 15 individual blossoms, which immediately catch the eye. They bloom for approximately 10 days, and are beautiful to behold.
Leaves: Green in summer, red in autumn
In April and May, the deep green aronia bush forms oval leaves ending in slender pointed tips. Their edges typically are slightly serrated. The leaves stay green during the summer and protect the fruits from excessive direct sunlight. Colors begin to emerge during the autumn, when green is transformed into an intense reddish-orange. This combination of colors is incredibly beautiful and truly embodies the idea of “Indian summer.”
Berries: The redder, the better
The aronia bush produces round fruit throughout the summer. 10-30 aronia berries, each on average of 6-12 mm in size and 1-1.5 g in weight, mature within each cluster. The dark red, nearly black berries are ripe for harvesting around the end of August or start of September. Ripeness of the berries, however, can also be determined based on the color of the fruit pulp: the more intense the red, the riper the fruit.
Also of interest