Giants Heart Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Giants Heart Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Sweet Gale

Myrica gale

Lonicera caerulea Giants Heart

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Sweet Gale
Giants Heart Haskap (Honeyberry)

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.

The Giants Heart Haskap is a late-ripening shrub that blooms with small white flowers and produces large, firm blue berries that are ready for harvest in late July. Their taste is typically described as something between a raspberry and a blueberry.

The Giants Heart Haskap, or Giants Heart Honeyberry is suitable for commercial growth as it is high yielding with sweet berries, cold-hardy and a vigorous grower.

Giants Heart is a late pollinating variety. Pair with other late pollinators to have a higher yield.
Kawaii is a great companion variety.

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Giants Heart Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

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


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


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