Blue Belle Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Blue Belle Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Lonicera caerulea Blue Belle

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Bilberry
Blue Belle Haskap (Honeyberry)

Bilberry is a native perennial shrub valued for its small, blue-black berries that ripen in mid to late summer. The berries resemble blueberries but have a richer, more tart, and intense flavor. They have long been used for fresh eating, baking, and preserves, while also providing food for birds and mammals. In spring, its delicate pinkish flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Growing low to the ground, Bilberry forms spreading colonies that create dense understory cover. This growth habit provides food and shelter for wildlife, and its foliage adds seasonal interest by turning red to purple in autumn. With its adaptability and ecological benefits, Bilberry is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and pollinator gardens.

Blue Belle Honeyberry is a hardy deciduous shrub. This variety produces larger quantities of bigger berries than the other Haskap varieties. Blue Belle Honeyberry's fruit is perfect for jam and jelly making.

Blue Belle is an early pollinating variety. Pair with other early pollinators to have a higher yield.
Aurora and Tundra are great companion varieties.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Blue Belle Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: smaller berries (0.9 grams) good for making jams or jellies
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry
Other Names: berry smart blue belle honeyberry