It is native to eastern Canada and to the eastern and central United States, from Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin, south as far as western South Carolina with an isolated population reported in southern Alabama.

[1] Some authors consider this to be a hybrid rather than a full-fledged species but it does grow in places where neither parent is present (most of Michigan for example).

This sort of thing is not unusual; many species of plants originated as hybrids.

The fruits are very astringent - widely considered unpalatable - when raw, but can be used to make jams and jellies.

The common name "Chokeberry" refers to the phenomenon that tasting the raw fruits can cause choking.