Honeyberry: The Low-Maintenance Super-Berry That Will Delight You Again and Again

Imagine picking the first sweet and healthy fruits of the season from your own garden as early as May. Sound like a dream? With the Haskap or Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), it's a reality. Although we still consider it something of an exotic, alongside serviceberries or sea buckthorn, it is in many ways a unique and undemanding shrub that shouldn't be missing from any garden.

It is a fruit that will please you several times over: with an early harvest, low maintenance, and a great taste.

5 Reasons Why You Will Fall in Love with the Honeyberry

Compared to popular blueberries, the honeyberry is a true gift for anyone who doesn't want to deal with complicated soil amendments and special care.

1. Low-Maintenance Above All: Forget about acidic soil! The honeyberry thrives in any normal, nutrient-rich garden soil. It's the ideal choice if you don't want to constantly buy peat moss.
2. The First Fruit in the Garden: Its small flowers appear very early and are resistant to spring frosts (they can handle temperatures down to -7°C). Because of this, it yields a harvest as early as May and early June, as one of the very first fruits of the season.
3. Siberian-Level Hardiness: As its other name, "Kamchatka honeysuckle," suggests, it is an extremely frost-hardy shrub that handles our winters with ease. It is also highly resistant to diseases and pests.
4. A Health Powerhouse: The berries are rich in antioxidants, vitamins (C, B, A, P), iron, and other minerals. They are a great and healthy start to the fruit season.
5. A Long-Term Companion: It is a long-lived plant that will bring you joy and harvests for many years. It starts bearing fruit very early, often in the first year after planting.

The One Golden Rule: It Needs a Partner

To get a bountiful harvest, remember one key thing: the honeyberry needs a pollinator. You always need to plant at least two different shrubs (two different varieties) that bloom at the same time. The plants will cross-pollinate, and you will enjoy a much larger and higher-quality harvest.

A Showcase of Modern Varieties: Which One is Right for You?

Modern varieties are characterized by larger fruits and higher yields compared to older ones. Here is a selection of the most interesting ones:

Proven and Reliable Varieties

• Jugana®: A large-fruited Siberian variety with fruits up to 4 cm long. They have a sweet-tart taste, are easy to pick, and do not fall off after ripening.
• Aurora®: A cross between Siberian and Japanese varieties, also ideal for northern regions. The fruits are known for their sweet taste.
• Tundra®: A more compact shrub (over 1 m) that can still yield up to 4 kg of fruit. It ripens in the second half of May. Aurora is a recommended pollinator.
• Indigo Gem: A Canadian variety with truly large fruits and a highly-rated sweet taste. They are easy to pick and store well.
• Honey Bee®: A fast-growing shrub with origins in the Kuril Islands. The fruits do not drop, have a sweet taste, and a high yield.

The "Boreal" Series: Extend Your Season

Canadian breeders have created the "Boreal" series of varieties, which have larger, firmer fruits and a later ripening time, thus extending the harvest season.

• Boreal Blizzard: Ripens about two weeks later (early June). The fruits are slightly larger compared to other varieties.
• Boreal Beauty: An interesting variety ripening at the end of May. The fruits are large (3-4 cm) and have a nice oval shape.
• Boreal Beast: It is a late variety, ripening in July. The fruits have an excellent sweet taste. It needs another late-ripening partner for successful pollination.

Create Your Own May and June Orchard
Imagine picking the first fruits of the season for weeks on end. By combining different varieties, you not only ensure perfect pollination but also extend the harvest period and discover subtle differences in taste. Discover all the honeyberry varieties in our selection and combine the right pair (or trio) for your garden.

Final Tips for Selection

Choosing the right combination is the key to success. How to do it?

• For the longest possible harvest: Combine an early variety (e.g., Tundra or Honey Bee) with a later variety from the Boreal series (e.g., Boreal Blizzard).
• For maximum fruit size: Focus on varieties like Jugana, Indigo Gem, or Boreal Blizzard.
• A proven combination for pollination: The combination of Aurora and Tundra is often recommended as they complement each other perfectly.

Whichever combination you choose, these large and healthy bushes will bring you joy and a bountiful harvest much sooner than you would expect.

Do you have experience with honeyberries? Share it in the comments!