Aroniaberry or chokeberry (Aronia sp., Rosaceae) is an attractive deciduous tree-like shrub. Native to eastern and central United States, red aroniaberry (A. arbutifolia) is more predominant in the southern part of the distribution. Bright red fruits, proliferous white flowers in spring, and attractive fall color, make A. arbutifolia a native shrub with ornamental potential. Most of the aroniaberry ornamental varieties available in the market are selections or hybrids of black aroniaberry (A. melanocarpa), they produce black fruit, and do not perform well in sub-tropical climates. We collected triploid and tetraploid A. arbutifolia from five different locations in South Georgia and evaluated their flowering period, fruit production, and response to chill hours in Griffin, GA (Zone 8a, Piedmont region). Plants were exposed to 1000, 800, 600, 400, or 0 chill hours and planted in the field in April of 2023. Flowering timing had a strong correlation with chill hours; plants with chill hours below 600 hrs. presented less flowers and flowering was not uniform.
