Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Oregon Grape - TreeTime.ca

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Oregon Grape

Lonicera caerulea Boreal Beast

Berberis aquifolium (Mahonia aquifolium)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry)
Oregon Grape

Boreal Beast Haskap produces sweet/tart berries that have an excellent 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.

They have firmer berries that tend to remain on the bush for longer when compared to other varieties.

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 Beast Haskap is a late-pollinating variety that pairs well with Boreal Blizzard and Boreal Beauty.

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: bright red to deep burgundy
Flowers: pale yellow
Flowers: yellow
Berries: large, purple blue
Berries: blue to purple, large
Flavor: raspberry-blueberry taste
Harvest: mid - late July
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: blue honeysuckle, honeyberry