Our "Edibles" #49: Honeyberry

Looks like a funny shaped Blueberry.

I’ve never heard of the plant.

Good luck on them.

I remember going out into the country with mom and dad and picking wild blueberries. I was a little young so I mostly climbed on the rocks.

-- Karson retired in DE e-mail karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

They sound great.Good luck with them.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Debbie, thanks for posting this information. I have ordered two of these to plant this spring as well. I am excited to try them out. I am hoping they will mature faster than the blueberry bushes I have planted. The one thing I had not read before was that the branches are very brittle, good to know! In cooler climates (such as Ontario), I believe full sun would probably be okay, but as they are native to Eastern Siberia, they have evolved in a cool climate and would need some protection from the sun if planted in warmer areas closer to the equator.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

I did notice on the sites that I looked at that they were in full sun.

I’m rethinking my garden layout planning. I might throw out all of my plans and start over :) Such is the fun of gardening!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

It is so much easier to change the layout while you are still in the planning stage than when you already have plants in the ground. This spring I have to make some major changes to two raised beds, including moving some blueberry bushes (thankfully still pretty small) because I planted the Sea Buckthorn bushes too close. Failures are great, as long as we learn from them. The more we learn, and apply what we learn, the better our gardens will become. Enjoy the process.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

that’s what I’ve learned … think big, plan small.. then plant :) (and then change everything haha)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

It is curious to find why two varities have to be used. Is there any scientific explanation for this behaviour?
Sharad

-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein

I don’t know Sharad… good question.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

I have two plants of different varieties and they are 2 yrs old now, planted next to a fence, so they get 3/4 day full sun. I have not had fruit yet, hope to this year if mature enough. If the wildlife don’t eat all the berries I’ll let you know what they taste like.

-- A weed is a plant that is growing where it was not purposefully placed by human hands.

Sharad, a memory from my college biology classes… genetic self-incompatibility evolved because the process of recombining genes from different individuals (sexual reproduction) produces variability in natural populations which gives organisms the potential for adaption to their environment and changes in their environment. Plants that regularly self-pollinate will lose some of this capacity. Early in the history of flowering plants, many plants families evolved mechanisms that made cross-pollination almost mandatory.

-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi

A great description of why. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it sure seems like a great explanation.

-- Karson retired in DE e-mail karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

These are haskap – http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/fruitsberries/haskap/borealishaskap

These are not haskap – http://www.onegreenworld.com//index.php?cPath=4_112

Haskap is both a descriptor for berries that are native to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan – http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/article/42/ and a hybrid developed by the University of Saskatchewan that is aimed at the Japanese market. For more info on the USask haskap, see http://www.haskap.ca/frequently_asked_questions.htm

At this point haskap are only available from Cdn nurseries, although that would appear about to change http://www.haskapcentral.com/

It’s not clear yet what nurseries in the US will call USask haskap.

Thanks HMike for all this information!

so there is a difference between Haskap and Honeyberries .. not sure what it is but you seem to be very knowledgeable on this so I’ll trust you.
Here is a quote from that third link you provided: Haskap belongs in the subspecies emphyllocalyx which is native to northern Japan. As compared to Russian subspecies, plants are different morphologically and they are adapted to more moderate climates. “Haskap”, the original Ainu name for this berry, is used by the Japanese industry and I think it appropriate to retain this unique name to distinguish this superior, new berry from the various ill-adapted blue honeysuckle plants currently in the North American nursery trade.

I will assume that I have the “lesser” honeyberry. But i’ll be keeping my eyes open for Haskap, now. Thanks!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan