Blue Banana Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Blue Banana Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Sweet Gale

Lonicera caerulea Blue Banana

Myrica gale

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CUSTOM GROW

Blue Banana Haskap (Honeyberry)
Sweet Gale

The Blue Banana Haskap is a fruit-bearing shrub that produces medium-sized oval berries that are quite sweet. Their taste is typically described as something between a raspberry and a blueberry. Its small white flowers bloom in April, with harvest time being mid-June to mid-July. The berries are juicy, and are great for fresh eating and using in preserves.

The Blue Banana Haskap, or Blue Banana Honeyberry is a cold-hardy cultivar.

Blue Banana is a late pollinating variety. Pair with other late pollinators to have a higher yield.
Blue Stuart is a great companion variety.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

Blue Banana Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, thicket-forming
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Berries: blue, oval
Flavor: sweet
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: blue banana honeyberry
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale