RED CHOKEBERRY 



Aronia arbutifolia (Linnaeus filius) Elliott 



FRUIT OF PLATE 3 I 



The fruit of the red chokeberry ripens in August or September, and 

 later in the season the whole bush becomes a gorgeous mass of orange 

 and scarlet color. The fruits are shaped like miniature pears, and this, 

 together with their bright coloring, often tempts the stranger to taste 

 them, but the result is sure to be a disappointment, for they are exces- 

 sively sour as well as bitter. The birds do not seem to mind this feature, 

 however, and consume them greedily during the winter months. A 

 bush or two should be planted in the garden of every bird lover. 



The red chokeberry ranges throughout the eastern United States and 

 into southernmost Canada. 



Like the flowers, the spray of berries sketched is from the vicinity of 

 Washington, District of Columbia. 



PLATE 3IA 



