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

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry

Lonicera caerulea Boreal Beast

Vaccinium myrtillus

CUSTOM GROW

Boreal Beast Haskap (Honeyberry)
Bilberry

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.

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 Beast Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
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: pale yellow
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: large, purple blue
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: raspberry-blueberry taste
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: mid - late July
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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