Hascap plants and the berries they produce are here to stay. They are somewhat new to North America but they have certainly made an impact and many gardeners that tried one or two plants a couple of years ago are coming back for more. Hascap plants (sometimes called Honeyberry or Sweetberry) is a member of the Honeysuckle family that produces edible berries. The berries are similar to blueberries in size and colour but are not as round, they are elongated. They have the taste of a raspberry and blueberry mixed together, but don’t eat them until they are ripe as this is when they are tastiest. The berries can be eaten fresh, frozen, or used in making pies, muffins, juice, wine, smoothies, or any of your favourite recipes that call for berries. Not only are the berries tasty but they are also good for you. High in vitamin C and antioxidants.Hascap plants are multi stemmed, deciduous bushes growing between 1.5 meters tall and wide depending on variety type. Originating in Siberia they are very hardy, being able to withstand temperatures of minus 47 celsius, making them ideal for our zone 3 climate. An added bonus is that when the plant is in bloom the flowers are able to handle a frost of minus 7 and still be able to produce fruit. This is important as they are early bloomers and early producers. In fact, hascap berries are the first berries of the season, even earlier then strawberries! The plants are fast growing and are mature in 5-6 years, although they begin to produce berries much sooner then that, but a mature plant can produce as much as 5-10 kilograms of fruit per year depending on the variety.It is an easy to grow plant, that does not require a lot maintenance. Plant them in a sunny location and keep them watered until the root system becomes established. There is no pruning needed for the first few years, but when the plant becomes too dense 25% of the older branches can be removed. Hascaps are rarely bothered by pests and disease. We have had some in our garden for the past 3 years and the only thing that has harmed the hascap plants is the moose’s feet that stepped on a couple of the plants over the winter. One important thing to remember when purchasing hascap plants is that you need more then one variety as they need to cross pollinate. There are a few varieties available, with different attributes. These include ‘Polar Jewel’ which produces lots of flowers and is a good pollinator for ‘Borealis’, and ‘Tundra’. ‘Polar Night’, is a smaller sized bush that produces smaller sized tasty berries making it ideal for small spaces. Plant the bushes in close proximity to each other, about 1.5-2 meters apart.Hascaps continue to gain in popularity. There are now farms that are beginning to grow hascap berries commercially, so it won’t be long before we begin to see the berries in grocery stores and other hascap products. The plant itself is a nice looking plant making it a great choice for an edible landscape! The plants can be found at garden centres. -Jos