There's A New Berry On The Block

By Jos Van Hage

There is a new and exciting small fruit becoming available in Canada.

The 'Haskap' berry, also known as 'honeyberry' or 'Blue Honeysuckle' is promising to be a great addition to any northern garden. Recently developed in the University of Saskatchewan, it is a very hardy plant that originates from Siberia. It can withstand temperatures of -47 Celsius. The plants can also be found growing in Russia, China, Japan and some of our staff including myself have planted them in our own yards last fall. One staff member has had the Haskap berry bush for a couple of years and enjoyed a bountiful and tasty crop last season!

The berries are similar to an elongated blueberry without the seeds, and depending on variety can be the same size or larger. The berries have a distinct taste of a raspberry/blueberry but unlike blueberries the skins melt in your mouth. Seeds and texture are similar to that of a kiwi. Haskap berries are good eaten fresh, frozen or used in pies, jams, juice, wine and dairy products. They the perfect choice if you want to add purple colour to your ice cream, yogurt or smoothies not to mention the taste! Not only are the berries tasty but they are also very healthy as they are high in vitamin C and a great source of antioxidants.

The plants are fast growing, and high yielding being able to produce berries when the plants are still young. By the time the plant is 5-6 years old it is in full production and can produce 5-10 kilograms of fruit per bush depending on variety. They are also the first fruit of the season. In Saskatchewan they usually produce in mid to late June making them even earlier then strawberries. To tell if the berries are ready cut one open to see whether it is green or purple inside; if it is green it is not ripe yet and purple means it is ready to eat! The plant blooms in late April/early May and the open flowers can withstand freezing temperatures of -7Celsius without any fruit damage. For bushes to produce berries you will need two unrelated varieties in close proximation of each other for good pollination.

The plant itself is a nice looking plant. They do not have thorns, do not sucker and need very little pruning in the early years. The leaves grow in pairs as do the flowers. Plants tend to grow 1.5 meters tall and wide (depending on variety) with a nice rounded shape. Space them about 1.5-2 meters apart if you want an individual bush and closer if you want to make a hedge. Haskap would be a good choice for those gardeners who want to grow organically as the plant is rarely bothered by pests or disease. When they are first planted they should be given a good through water every once in a while to establish a good root system. Water less often and more thoroughly so that the roots grow down rather than watering more often with less water which creates a shallow root system. A deeper root system will mean that when the root system is established the plant will not need not be so reliant on being watered during dry times.

I think that as more people and gardeners find out about the Haskap berry it will become very popular. So why not be one of the first to have it growing in your yard! Plant will be available in the garden centre this spring/summer.

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