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Boreal Beauty Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Illini Hardy Blackberry
Lonicera caerulea Boreal Beauty
Rubus fruticosus Illini Hardy
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Boreal Beauty Haskap produces sweet/tart berries that have a great flavour. The flavour of Haskaps is generally described as a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry. Boreal Beast Haskaps are well suited to fresh eating, freezing, baking, and preserves.
The berries are heavy, firm, and have a great branch hold. They are firm enough to withstand 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.
Boreal Beauty Haskap is a late-pollinating variety that pairs well with Boreal Beast.
The Illini Hardy Blackberry was developed in Illinois for northern growers, and produces a large, juicy blackberry with medium-sweet flavor. The berries are ready for harvest in midsummer, and go great in preserves.
The Illini Hardy Blackberry, or the Illinois Blackberry, are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.