The black chokeberry is a North American native shrub that blooms with small white flowers in mid-spring. Wine-red fall foliage in concert with purplish-black fruits provide an attractive autumn display. It is an excellent choice as a shrub, because it can tolerate a wide range of light (full sun to partial shade) and soil conditions (wet to dry and clay). At maturity, it can reach a height and width of 6 feet. The black berries are very astringent and not attractive to birds. High in antioxidants, they can be cooked with a lot of sugar and turned into jelly. The fruit will remain on the shrub for the winter, providing extra interest. Taxonomists have been considering whether to change the genus name to Photinia, a very similar group of Asian shrubs.