Labrador Tea vs Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) - TreeTime.ca

Labrador Tea vs Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry)

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum groenlandicum)

Lonicera caerulea Honey Bee

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NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Labrador Tea
Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry)

Labrador Tea is slow-growing evergreen shrub native to the boreal forests of Canada.

It thrives in wet, swampy conditions.

Labrador Tea has narrow, leathery, dark green leaves, topped by a cluster of white flowers in the spring. It is a perfect ornamental shrub for boggy, wet areas of your property.

Honey Bee Haskap produces tarter fruit than the Aurora and Borealis varieties and is known for bearing fruit at a younger age. The flavour of Haskaps is generally described as a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry. Honey Bee Haskaps are well suited to fresh eating, freezing, baking, and preserves.

The Honey Bee Haskap has stronger fruit holds than other varieties so the berries stay on the bush longer. The berries do not roll well so they are not recommended for mechanical harvesting.

For optimal fruit production, cross-pollination is required. Haskaps need to be planted with a compatible variety. Compatibility is influenced by both bloom time and genetics.

Honey Bee Haskap is an early-pollinating variety and pairs well with Aurora, Borealis, Tundra, and Indigo Gem.

Labrador Tea Quick Facts

Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: any
Light: full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: none

Toxicity: slightly toxic if ingested

Foliage: leathery, orange undersides, evergreen
Fall colour: rust orange
Flowers: white, fragrant
Berries: elongate blue berries ripen in late June. Delicate skinned, tarter than Borealis and Tundra Haskaps
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: haskap, honey bee honeyberry, honeyberry