Northline Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Blue Honeysuckle - TreeTime.ca

Northline Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Blue Honeysuckle

Lonicera caerulea

Amelanchier alnifolia Northline

Blue Honeysuckle
Northline Saskatoon (Serviceberry)

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.

Top Selling Saskatoon Variety

Northline Saskatoon is a native shrub that's famous for its great-tasting fruit. The berries are terrific for fresh eating and cooking. The Saskatoon bush itself can be quite large and produces an abundance of fruit. Saskatoons are hardy and can tolerate partial shade and a variety of growing conditions.

Northline Saskatoon is popular because it seldom gets over 8 feet in height, which makes it ideal for U-Pick orchards and over-row harvester equipment. The uniform ripening of the berries in full clusters and the desirable sweet taste also make this variety a favorite.

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Blue Honeysuckle Quick Facts

Northline Saskatoon (Serviceberry) Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $2.99 - SAVE UP TO 67%
Lowest Price: $4.99 - SAVE UP TO 50%
Zone: 2a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to spreading
Spreading: seeds - low, layering - low
Suckering: medium


Fall colour: orange to red
Flowers: yellowish-white, funnel shaped
Bloom time: mid to late spring
Fruit: Northline produces large edible berries great for eating raw
Berries: oblong, dark purplish-blue, edible
Berries: produces large edible berries great for eating raw
Flavor: sweet-tart
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT
Other Names: blue fly-honeysuckle, fly honeysuckle, haskap, honeyberry, mountain fly honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle
Other Names: alder-leaf shadbush, dwarf shadbush, pacific serviceberry, pigeon berry, western juneberry, western serviceberry