Viking Aronia Berry vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Viking Aronia Berry vs Mountain Huckleberry

Aronia melanocarpa Viking

Vaccinium membranaceum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Viking Aronia Berry
Mountain Huckleberry

Viking Aronia Berry is easy to grow, with black berries that are high in antioxidants. The Viking variety is much more productive than the non cultivar Aronia Berry. The berries can be eaten fresh but are found to be tart and bitter. They are more often used in baking, jams, juices, and wine. They have small, white flowers with a hint of pink that grow evenly on the shrub. The summer foliage turns a very attractive red in the fall.

The Viking Aronia Berry is a self-pollinating plant. Because of its uniformity and high yield, the Viking Aronia Berry is a popular cultivar.

Mountain Huckleberry is a small shrub known for its tart to sweet berries. The berries range from purple-black to red-black, and can be eaten fresh or used in jams and syrups. It is a plant native to Alberta and the berries are frequently enjoyed by both people and wildlife.

In traditional Indigenous fire management practices, berry patches were burned after harvest. This would reduce the invasion of other plants allowing the Mountain Huckleberry to thrive. Its foliage has low flammability and can survive low severity fires, and even if destroyed they regrow from the roots.

Note: Mountain Huckleberry requires specific soil conditions. They need moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH around 5.5.

Viking Aronia Berry Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: small black berries
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: astringent
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Flowers: white
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high




Other Names: black chokeberry viking, viking chokeberry
Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry