Blue Stuart Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Blue Stuart Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry

Lonicera caerulea Blue Stuart

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Blue Stuart Haskap (Honeyberry)
Bilberry

The Blue Stuart Haskap is a fruit-bearing shrub that produces medium-sized, oval-shaped and sweet berries. Their taste is typically described as something between a raspberry and a blueberry. The berries are ready for harvest through June and July, and are of medium firmness.

The Blue Stuart Haskap, or Blue Stuart Honeyberry is a cultivar of Russian origin bred by Lidia Stuart who grew up in far eastern Russia.

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

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.

Blue Stuart Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 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
Suckering: none


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: blue, oval
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: June - July
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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