Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Illini Hardy Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Illini Hardy Blackberry

Rubus fruticosus Illini Hardy

Lonicera caerulea Boreal Beast

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Illini Hardy Blackberry
Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry)

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.

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.

Illini Hardy Blackberry Quick Facts

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: black
Berries: large, purple blue
Flavor: medium
Flavor: raspberry-blueberry taste
Harvest: July
Harvest: mid - late July
Flowers: pale yellow
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: high




Other Names: illinois blackberry
Other Names: blue honeysuckle, honeyberry