Why do aronia berries have a whitish fuzz?
The fine – usually white – hairs are a heat shield that protects the skin and thus the contents of the berry from overheating and drying out. The white hairs reflect sunlight before the black skin absorbs the light and heat. Sage protects itself from sunlight in a similar way. With its silvery hairs on the leaves, it reflects light just the same. This natural self-protection is particularly noticeable in southern countries with high sun exposure, e.g., kiwi.
Nature is quite clever.
