Dogberry Bushes

Characteristics

• A medium-sized shrub, growing to 10 feet high and 8 feet wide, the dogberry bush sprouts a 1-inch white flower in early spring. The dark green, glossy foliage turns to orange and crimson in the fall, with all three colors are evident on the shrub as the changes occur. By October, the brilliant fall display is in full force and the leaves remain on the bush well into the cooler season before falling.

Planting

• Preferring acidic to neutral soil, the dogberry bush needs full sun to partial shade. It adapts to soil dampness and performs well in both dry and wet soil conditions. Tolerant of environmental stresses like smoke and wind, this slow-growing shrub spreads by root suckers, easily removed at the plant base if additional shrubs or uncontrolled spreading is not wanted. Dogberry bush does not suffer from any serious pests or diseases and regular pruning will keep it shaped as desired.

Cultivars

• Aronia arbutifolia grows to 10 feet wide and 5 feet high, beginning as an erect shrub and becoming arching and vase-shaped with age. Aronia arbutifolia "Brilliantissma" provides more flowers, fruit, and bright autumn color than other cultivars; grows to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide. Aronia arbutifolia "Erecta" is an upright cultivar that grows to 7 feet high and 4 feet wide.

Berries

• Clusters of brilliant red berries sprout throughout the shrub in late summer and remain long after the leaves have dropped, providing bright color through the winter months. The berries are edible, but with a bitterness and astringency that makes them better suited to jams and jellies. Some birds will attempt to use the berries as food, but the sharp flavor of the berry clusters tends to keep the berries on the branches until they fall naturally.