Kawai Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Kawai Haskap (Honeyberry) vs Bilberry

Lonicera caerulea Kawai

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Kawai Haskap (Honeyberry)
Bilberry

The Kawai Haskap is a compact fruit-bearing shrub that blooms with small white flowers in early spring and then fruits with medium-sized, oval shaped berries in late June and July. Their taste is usually described as something between a raspberry and a blueberry. The berries are blue and sweet and are great for fresh eating or preserves.

The Kawai Haskap, or Kawai Honeyberry is cold-hardy and is suitable for urban gardens.

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

American Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub known for its clusters of small black berries that ripen in mid-to-late summer. The berries are edible and have long been used for fresh eating, preserves, and baking. They provide food for birds and mammals, and their fragrant spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

American Black Currant’s foliage serves as a host plant for butterfly species such as the Green Comma and Gray Comma, and its dense branching offers cover for wildlife. The shrub has traditionally been planted in shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and restoration projects.

Kawai Haskap (Honeyberry) Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 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
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: oval
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Fruit size: medium
Firmness: medium
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late june/july
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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