Aronia prunifolia Rubina

The Aronia prunifolia 'Rubina' is a hybrid variety of the prune-leaved aronia, a cross between the Aronia prunifolia 'Viking' and a Russian aronia berry. This bush, whose "super-fruits" are highly consumed in Asia, bears clusters of high nutritional value, resembling large blueberries or blackcurrants, which are harvested when ripe in September-October. Slightly astringent when fresh, they can make delicious jellies, pastries, fruit syrups, or jams. Its foliage is highly decorative, changing from green to purple, red, and yellow in autumn. Its spring flowers are white and melliferous. Very hardy, it can be grown in full sun or partial shade in deep, moist soil, preferably non-chalky.

'Rubina' is a distant cousin of roses, plum trees, and blackberries, a member of the vast rose family. Native to Canada and the northeastern United States, aronia plants are highly cold-resistant and thrive in cool, slightly acidic soils. They are now extensively planted in Eastern European countries to meet the demand of the Asian market.

'Rubina' forms a sparsely branched, open-growing bush reaching approximately 2m in height and 1.25m in width, sometimes more depending on growing conditions. It exhibits slow growth in its early years. Its bark is smooth and reddish-brown. It bears alternate, simple, ovate, finely toothed leaves measuring 4 to 5cm in length, with a glossy dark green colour that blazes in autumn, adopting various shades of orange, copper, crimson red, and violet. In April-May, it produces white flowers dotted with pale pink, measuring 2cm in diameter. Gathered in corymbs, there are numerous, highly fragrant, and melliferous. They give way to clusters of round fruits, measuring 1.5cm in diameter, initially green-purple and becoming blackish-purple and shiny as they ripen, while the peduncles turn red. This fruiting, slightly acidic, juicy, and rich in antioxidants, persists throughout winter if not consumed by birds. 'Rubina' is a self-fertile variety: a single plant is sufficient for a bountiful harvest.

Naturally resistant to diseases and pests, Aronia is an excellent bush, both hardy, ornamental, and undemanding. While it can tolerate poor soils, it will thrive best in non-chalky, cool, deep, slightly acidic soil. It can be planted individually in a free, countryside, hedgerow hedge, or large shrub borders. To achieve a spectacular mass effect, plant it in groups of 3 to 6 plants of the same variety. This 'Rubina' aronia pairs well in a hedge that is both beautiful and edible with other small fruit bushes, foliage or flowering, such as apple trees, ornamental plum and cherry trees, male cornel, hedge honeysuckle, serviceberries, Goumi, anemone trees, May berries, sea buckthorn, Goji, and blueberries. A perfect combination for creating vitamin-packed cocktails for the whole family!

The Aronia fruits can be consumed fresh, cooked, in jams, or as juice, which can be mixed, for example, with cranberry juice and apple juice. Chinese pharmacopoeia attributes medicinal properties and beneficial health effects to the berries of this Aronia fruit variety. The richness in polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, B and C vitamins (3 times more than oranges), minerals, and fibres make the Aronia berry one of the most nutritionally attractive small fruits.