Viking Aronia Berry vs Japanese Quince - TreeTime.ca

Viking Aronia Berry vs Japanese Quince

Aronia melanocarpa Viking

Chaenomeles japonica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Viking Aronia Berry
Japanese Quince

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.

Japanese Quince has bright, orange to red showy flowers that bloom in early spring. The flowers appear before the leaves and may continue to bloom after leaves emerge. Flowers grow on old wood, so pruning after flowering will help to promote new growth next spring. They produce yellow-green fruit that taste bitter when eaten raw, typically they are better suited for making preserves.

It can be used as a stand alone ornamental shrub, as a low hedge, or can be trained to grow against a wall. In late winter, branches of Japanese Quince can be cut and brought indoors where they will bloom on their own. They are deer and rabbit tolerant. The branches are spiny making them well suited for keeping unwanted wildlife away.

Viking Aronia Berry Quick Facts

Japanese Quince Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium


Flowers: white
Flowers: showy, red-orange
Fruit: greenish yellow
Berries: small black berries
Flavor: astringent
Flavor: bitter
Harvest: fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: black chokeberry viking, viking chokeberry
Other Names: flowering quince, maules quince