On offer are 30 Aronia Berry/Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) seeds.
From Wikipedia:
"The chokeberries (Aronia) are two species of deciduous shrubs in the
family Rosaceae, native to eastern North America and most commonly
found in wet woods and swamps. The leaves are alternate, simple, and
oblanceolate with crenate margins and pinnate venation; in autumn the
leaves turn a bold red color. Dark trichomes are present on the upper
midrib surface. The flowers are small, with 5 petals and 5 sepals, and
produced in corymbs of 10-25 together. Hypanthium is urn-shaped.
The fruit is a small pome, about 1cm in diameter, with a very
astringent, bitter flavour; it is eaten by birds (birds do not taste
astringency and feed on them readily), which then disperse the seeds in
their droppings.
The name "chokeberry" comes from the astringency of the fruits which are inedible when raw and unsweetened.
The chokeberries are often mistakenly called chokecherries, which is
the common name for Prunus virginiana. Further adding to the ambiguity,
there is a cultivar of Prunus virginiana named 'Melanocarpa' , easily
confused with Aronia melanocarpa. In fact, the two plants are only
distantly related within the Rosaceae.
Chokeberries are very high in antioxidant pigment compounds, like anthocyanins.
Black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa, tends to be 1-3m tall, and
spreads readily by root sprouts. The leaves are smaller, not more than
6 cm long, with terminal glands on leaf teeth and a glabrous underside.
The flowers are white, 1.5 cm diameter, with glabrous sepals. The fruit
is black, 6-9 mm diameter, not persisting into winter.
Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) has attracted scientific interest
due to its deep purple, almost black pigmentation that arises from
dense contents of phenolic phytochemicals, especially anthocyanins.
Total anthocyanin content in chokeberries is 1480 mg per 100 g of fresh
berries, and proanthocyanidin concentration is 664 mg per 100 g (Wu et
al. 2004, 2006). Both values are among the highest measured in plants
to date.
The plant produces these pigments mainly in the skin of the berries to
protect the pulp and seeds from constant exposure to ultraviolet
radiation. By absorbing UV rays in the blue-purple spectrum, pigments
filter intense sunlight and thereby have a role assuring regeneration
of the species. Brightly colourful pigmentation also attracts birds and
animals to consume the fruit and disperse the seeds in their droppings.
Anthocyanins not only contribute toward chokeberry's astringent
property (that would deter pests and infections) but also give Aronia
melanocarpa extraordinary antioxidant strength that combats oxidative
stress in the fruit during photosynthesis.
A test tube measurement of antioxidant strength, the oxygen radical
absorbance capacity or ORAC, demonstrates chokeberry with one of the
highest values yet recorded -- 16,062 micromoles of Trolox Eq. per 100
g.
There is growing appreciation for consumers to increase their intake of
antioxidant-rich plant foods from colourful sources like berries, tree
or citrus fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices. Accordingly, a deep
blue food source such as chokeberry yields anthocyanins in high
concentrations per serving, indicating potential value as a functional
food or nutraceutical.
Analysis of anthocyanins in chokeberries has identified the following
individual chemicals (among hundreds known to exist in the plant
kingdom): cyanidin-3-galactoside, epicatechin, caffeic acid, quercetin,
delphinidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and malvidin. All these
are members of the flavonoid category of antioxidant phenolics.
Efficacy in disease models
Chokeberries' rich antioxidant content may be beneficial as a dietary
preventative for reducing the risk of diseases caused by oxidative
stress. Among the models under evaluation where preliminary results
show benefits of chokeberry anthocyanins are colorectal cancer (Lala et
al. 2006), cardiovascular disease (Bell & Gochenaur 2006), chronic
inflammation (Han et al. 2005), gastric mucosal disorders (peptic
ulcer) (Valcheva-Kuzmanova et al. 2005), eye inflammation (uveitis)
(Ohgami et al. 2005) and liver failure (Valcheva-Kuzmanova et al.
2004). " (From Wikipedia)
The fruit is said to have a good flavour but is very astringent. The
fruit should be fully ripe before being eaten and is best after a frost
or two.
It makes a good jelly when sugar is added and is also dried and used for making pemmican.
The fruit is rich in pectin and can be added to fruits that are low in this substance when making jams, jellies etc.
This plant has good autumn/fall colour. see photo bellow.
Cultivation details:
Prefers a moist peaty soil in full sun or partial shade. Succeeds in
most soils but dislikes shallow chalk. Plants are hardy to about -25°c.
Propagation
Seed - best sown in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored
seed overnight and then cold stratify for 3 months at 2°c. The seed
them germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle,
prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on,
providing protection for their first winter. Plant out in late spring.
Division of suckers in the dormant season, very easy, they can be
planted straight out into their permanent positions.
Shipping:
Postage within Australia is $1.50.…. for any quantity of seed packets purchased.
I use padded envelopes to protect your seeds in the post.
Seeds/plants will only shipped on Mondays to decrease the time spent in transit.
Please email me if you have any questions.
Thank You For Your Interest In My Seeds.
On 03-Apr-09 at 23:08:42 AEDST, seller added the following information:
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