The "Blue Honeysuckle" Superberry!
- Shaneen Smith
- Nov 1, 2021
- 3 min read
The Blue Honeysuckle (haskap) thrives in the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere, in countries such as Japan, Russia and Canada - which makes this super berry plant ideal for our Cariboo Region.
Continue reading to find out why we are so excited about putting Haskap roots into the ground for the Spring of 2021.
This superberry goes by many names. Blue Honeysuckle, Honeyberry, Edible Honeysuckle, Sweet Berry Honeysuckle and its scientific name Lonicera caerulea.
What's so great about the Blue Honeysuckle?
The Haskap is incredibly hardy and can easily survive hostile winters of up to minus 45 temperatures making it ideal for our Cariboo winters!
Benefits
Treasured for centuries in Japan, Russia and China, Haskap has long been known as, “The fruit of Life longevity and Fruit of vision”.
These superberries were used in traditional medicine to reduce the risk of medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart attacks, eye and gastrointestinal diseases. Because of its high concentration of antioxidants, even today, the haskap is sourced and used for many conditions and the prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer prevention, anti-aging and vision!
Flavour
The flavour of the haskap has been described as a cross between a blueberry, Saskatoon berry and a raspberry. The berries skin melts in your mouth with tiny unnoticeable seeds.
Bioactive Punch
These wonder berries contain high levels of bioactive compounds and have the highest Anthocyanin content of any fruit! WOW! Phenols, Anthocyanins and Bioflavonoids compounds known as antioxidants, are associated with health promoting benefits.
High in Vitamin C
Laboratory analysis shows it is significantly higher in vitamin C than in other C - rich sources such as oranges, strawberries, and raspberries. These berries also have high concentrations of Vitamin A, fiber and potassium. As an added bonus, these berries are chock-full of important minerals including calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper.
Pest Free
Berry loving birds can be challenging, and could come in flocks and harvest your berries for you 😲 Netting and a fake owl or scarecrow can help save your berries. Mice, gophers and even moles can be a problem if they develop a palate for these special berries. These plants are thought to be deer resistant, as deer tend to not have any interest in the bushes leaves, buds or berries.
Diseases
The only current disease known to haskap is powdery mildew, which typically shows up on the leaves after berry harvest. It is fairly easy to maintain control of powdery mildew. Simply maintain the growing site by cleaning up fallen leaves and other debris from the base of the plant. Click here to read more about Pests and Disease Control of haskap honey berries.
General Care
Prune after 10 years (non-suckering)
Avoid overhead watering
Keep the area free of weeds
Use yellow straw or landscape fabric to suppress weeds
Do not till
Varieties
The Haskap needs a pollinator, and there are so many to choose from. Below are some of the varieties we plan to have for sale this Fall of 2020!
Aurora
This variety is sweet with incredible flavour, it is more dense and chewy, with a less delicate skin than other varieties - it can actually be machine harvested! We like to pair it with Borealis Haskap.
Honey Bee
The Honey Bee is a lovely balanced flavour of tart and sweet - it is almost addictive! We like to pair it with Borealis or Tundra Haskap.
Happy Giant
The Happy Giant is sure to make you smile with its super sweet flavour with hint of tartness. It is a heavy provider of large delicious health benefiting fruit. We like to pair it with Blue Moose or Blue Palm Haskap.
Boreal Blizzard
These berries have a more tart flavour with a hit of sweet. It is an excellent pollinator for all of our varieties of haskap.
There are so many varieties, and we spent the time and did the research and carefully selected these for their flavour and productivity. Visit our Online Store.
It's a Must Have
The Blue Honeysuckle is a 'must have' in any Cariboo garden. They are fairly easy to care for and they will provide years of delicious health benefiting superberries year after year.
They do not provide instant satisfaction however, you must wait 2 to 3 years before they bear fruit - but the wait is well worth it!
Stay connected and be the first to hear when our Young Haskap
have arrived for sale at Cariboo Blue Farm
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