Blue Stuart Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Blue Honeysuckle

Blue Honeysuckle (wild Haskap or Honeyberry) is a cold hardy shrub and native to most of Canada. The pale yellow to white flowers provide nectar and pollen for bumblebees and other pollinators. The edible berries resemble elongated blueberries. They have a sweet-tart flavour often described as a blend of blueberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant, though wild berries can vary in taste.

Compared to popular cultivated varieties, the berries of Blue Honeysuckle are typically smaller and more variable in shape and flavour. While some enjoy eating the berries fresh, they are more commonly used in baking and preserves. Blue Honeysuckle can be used in hedgerows, border plantings, and naturalized landscapes. It may also serve as a cross-pollination partner in haskap plantings or as a decoy planting to draw birds and wildlife away from more desirable fruit crops.

Blue Honeysuckle has limited self-pollination and produces better yields when planted with other haskap plants or varieties for cross-pollination. Wild populations have not been studied as extensively as cultivated varieties, and because these plants are grown from seed, bloom timing and cross-pollination compatibility may vary.

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.

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