This is widespread, usually on seasonally wet acid soils, across much of eastern North America, but it is absent in the upper midwest (K). Putative hybrids with melanocarpa have been collected in CALL (WKY), LETC (B), MCRE (CW) and PULA (CW). Such plants are reported to form distinct populations in states east of Ky., and have often been treated as a distinct species with a broad northeastern range (K, W): A. prunifolia (Marsh.) Rehd. [= Photinia floribunda (Lindl.) E.B. Phipps). Aronia has been included by K.R. Robertson & J.B. Phipps within the genus Photinia (as was initially followed by K and PL). But, if these genera are merged, Aronia has priority (as reviewed by W).