Balsors Blackberry vs Boreal Bliss Haskap - TreeTime.ca

Balsors Blackberry vs Boreal Bliss Haskap

Rubus fruticosus Balsors

Lonicera caerulea Boreal Bliss

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Balsors Blackberry
Boreal Bliss Haskap

Balsors Blackberry is a cold-hardy variety that produces very large, sweet and juicy blackberries late in the summer. They are great for baking and fresh eating.

Balsors Blackberry is a floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Boreal Bliss Haskap is a variety recently released by the University of Saskatchewan. Haskaps generally taste like a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry. The flavour of Boreal Bliss is described as excellent, with a nice aroma and unique aftertaste. For peak flavour, wait about a week after the berries turn blue before harvesting. The berries are well suited to fresh eating, freezing, baking, and preserves.

Boreal Bliss is the first Haskap cultivar to be released with wild Canadian lineage. Its productivity is very good, with bloom and ripening times closely matching Boreal Beast.

For optimal fruit production, cross-pollination is required. Haskaps need to be planted with a compatible variety. Compatibility is influenced by both bloom time and genetics.

Boreal Bliss Haskap is a late-pollinating variety and pairs well with Boreal Beast and Boreal Blizzard

Balsors Blackberry Quick Facts

Boreal Bliss Haskap Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, and somewhat spreading
Spreading: suckering - none
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Bark: has thorns
Flowers: pale yellow
Bloom time: mid May to early June
Berries: black
Berries: blue, oblong
Fruit size: large
Firmness: soft
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: raspberry-blueberry taste
Harvest: August
Harvest: mid July to early August
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: balsor hardy blackberry, balsors hardy black blackberry, balsors hardy blackberry, hardy black blackberry, illinois blackberry
Other Names: boreal bliss honeyberry