Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Witch Hazel - TreeTime.ca

Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Witch Hazel

Lonicera caerulea Honey Bee

Hamamelis virginiana

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry)
Witch Hazel

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.

Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub, or small tree, with a short trunk, bearing numerous spreading, crooked branches.

The seeds grow in a long, wooden pod with two to four seeds per pod. Upon ripening, the pods burst, firing the seeds up to 30km an hour.

The leaf and bark extract of Witch Hazel has been used as a remedy to common ailments such as inflammation, bruises and much more for many centuries.

Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Witch Hazel Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium


Berries: elongate blue berries ripen in late June. Delicate skinned, tarter than Borealis and Tundra Haskaps
Seeds: seeds ejected to a distance of up to 30 ft
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Other Names: haskap, honey bee honeyberry, honeyberry