Boreal Blizzard Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Boreal Blizzard Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Lonicera caerulea Boreal Blizzard

CUSTOM GROW

Bilberry
Boreal Blizzard 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.

Boreal Blizzard Haskap is known for its excellent taste and is the most similar to the Aurora Haskap. The flavour of Haskaps is generally described as a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry. Boreal Blizzard Haskaps are well suited to fresh eating, freezing, baking, and preserves.

It has one of the largest and heaviest berries and 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 Blizzard Haskap is a late-pollinating variety that pairs well with Boreal Beast.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Boreal Blizzard Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

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Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 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: any
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Flowers: pale yellow
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: large, purple blue
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: raspberry-blueberry taste
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Harvest: mid - late July
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: blue honeysuckle, honeyberry