Honey Bee Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Boyne Raspberry
Rubus sp. Boyne
Lonicera caerulea Honey Bee
The Boyne Raspberry is a classic red raspberry, with a deep red color and juicy, sweet taste. It’s great for fresh eating, desserts and jams. It is a medium-sized shrub that produces ready to pick heart-shaped berries from early to mid summer and is high-yielding.
Boyne Raspberry is a floricane-fruiting variety, meaning it primarily produces fruit on second-year canes (previous season’s new growth). They are also referred to as summer-bearing. In late winter or early spring, cut back all spent floricanes, leaving only last season's canes.
Raspberries are self-fertile, meaning they do not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.
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.