Why Grow Haskap?

Philip Ronald, Ph.D., Riverbend Orchards Inc.

 

Haskap, also known as honeyberry and edible blue honeysuckle, is a relatively new fruit crop for the prairie region. Known as Lonicera caerulea in Latin, this circumpolar shrub species is found in the northern boreal forests in Asia, Europe, and North America. Hybridization efforts by Dr. Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan over the last 20 years have spawned a number of wonderful cultivars for prairie gardeners.

 

 

At Riverbend Orchards in Portage la Prairie, we planted our first field of haskap in 2010 – likely one of the pioneer commercial plots in Manitoba. Since then we have expanded our haskap collection to more than 6000 plants, mostly consisting of the cultivar ‘Aurora’. Over the same timeframe many new orchards have been established across our province. In this article I would like to share some of my personal observations of this exciting prairie fruit crop.

EASY TO GROW

Haskap develop into tidy, round to oval-shaped plants with a mature size of 1.5 to 2 m in height and 1.5 m in width. Unlike saskatoons, they are non-suckering so they will not spread laterally from their planting position. Haskap feature a fine textured, expansive root network and perform best in soil that is free of competition. In other words, don’t plant your haskaps in turf grass and avoid sitting them under a large tree where rain shadow and root competition are likely.

Once established in a good planting site, minimal supplemental watering is needed since haskap do most of their growing in May and June when soil moisture tends to be plentiful. At our orchard we do water-in a light treatment of organic liquid fertilizer (10-4-3) in mid-May when the plants are flowering. However, it is important to avoid over-fertilizing fruit plants as they can easily resort to vegetative mode under high rates of nitrogen.

People often ask us about whether they need to prune haskap bushes. The short answer is “No” as this year’s fruit forms on last year’s stem growth. Any removal of the outer circumference of the leafy canopy will result in lower fruit yield the following summer. Furthermore, the growth of haskap bushes is very even and controlled compared to shrubs like ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), whose erratic growth often demands regular pruning to maintain the desired shape. Reports suggest that haskap bushes can sustain their maximum yields for 30 years. Heavy rejuvenation pruning can be done when yields begin to decline.

EARLY TO RIPEN

In the occasional years where spring arrives early in Manitoba we have done our first picking of haskap around June 15th with the fruit harvest season continuing into the first half of July. This tasty fruit has opened new markets by extending fruit availability into a window of time where usually only a few early local vegetables are seen in our farmers markets.

More importantly, early fruit ripening ensures that haskap avoids the worst of the annual invasion of spotted wing fruit fly (Drosophila suzukii). The larvae of this invasive alien species develop in fruit during final ripening making it unusable in many cases. In a typical year, locally grown fruit that ripens before July 15 is typically free of spotted wing fruit fly. This observation favours haskap since most fruit is picked by this point whereas later maturing fruit crops such as tart cherry and raspberries can be severely damaged by spotted wing fruit fly without close monitoring, physical and/or chemical control.

TASTY FRUIT

Haskap fruit has an exceptional flavour, which some experts have compared to a mix of blueberries and raspberries. Haskap fruit has been used to make exceptional jam, juice, wine and even pies. Frozen haskap berries are a favourite for smoothie junkies as just a handful of fruit adds amazing flavour and colour to any concoction. Unlike strawberries or cherries, haskap is a fruit that requires no additional steps after picking but can be frozen or processed right off the plant.

The structure of each berry is fascinating with a longitudinal section showing two distinct berries in each fruit. The high ratio of skin to flesh explains a haskap berry’s exceptional levels of antioxidants – shown to be eight times higher than a blueberry. Antioxidants serve as free-radical scavengers in our bodies helping to ward off cancer, heart disease and even aging.

WEATHER-RESISTANT

If ever there was a fruit plant that can thrive under the erratic weather conditions of the prairie region, it is the haskap. This species is very winter hardy, happily surviving in northern Saskatchewan where January temperatures may dip to -50 C. Even more exciting to gardeners is this plant’s ability to experience temperatures as cold as -7 C in flower and still produce fruit! This trait is unmatched in orchards as the flowers of most other prairie fruit plants are disabled at temperatures lower than  -2 C.

ANIMAL RESISTANT

In the 15 years that we have been growing haskap at our farm in Portage la Prairie we have observed no damage from deer or rabbits and only several plants under heavy snow cover touched by voles. In fact, we have seen a deer travel a 100 m row of haskap plants tipping every tasty weed but not touching a single haskap plant. In this way, haskap are most unlike members of the rose family (e.g. tart cherry and apple) which we must protect with a 2.5 m deer fence year-round!

This statement may not be exclusive, however, as there have been reports of rabbits enjoying haskap bushes in some urban areas. Influencing factors may include the environment, size of the plant, nearby plants and more.

It should be noted that haskap berries are loved by certain songbirds, particularly the cedar waxwing. Apparently, these birds are also aware of the health benefits of this fruit and they will return year after year to feast on the berries, sometimes even before they are ripe. The best defense is to net your bushes in early June, several weeks before fruit ripeness.

LANDSCAPE USAGE

Haskap are the consummate “edible ornamental” as they have a tidy habit and do not sucker. Furthermore, their flowers are attractive and insect-friendly while their foliage is glossy and disease resistant. I have encouraged individuals to think outside the box when planting haskap in the home landscape. Few homes still feature a backyard garden/orchard, so some placement alternatives include planting these globe-shaped shrubs with other perennials in landscape beds or installing a fruitful haskap hedge on an unfenced property line.

CULTIVARS

Unlike self-pollinated small fruit species (e.g. saskatoon berry), a haskap cultivar is self-incompatible and requires cross pollination for fruit set. Two distinct cultivars must be planted in close proximity to ensure pollen transfer by pollinating insects such as bumble bees and honeybees. To clarify, this is not a situation such as sea buckthorn where one plant is male and the other female. In fact, both haskap cultivars will produce delicious fruit after successful pollination.

When choosing compatible cultivars for pollination, bloom time and duration are the most important characteristics. Early blooming cultivars such as ‘Borealis’ and ‘Tundra’ can serve as useful pollinizers for the outstanding mid-season cultivar, ‘Aurora’. ‘Honeybee’ is a mid-season bloomer that also works as a pollination partner for ‘Aurora’. The latest cultivar releases from the University of Saskatchewan, the Boreal series, bloom in mid to late season. ‘Boreal Beast’ serves as a suitable pollinizer for both the mid-season ‘Boreal Blizzard’ and the late season ‘Boreal Beauty’. Usually we plant at a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio with the superior cultivar at a higher rate and the pollinizer plants sprinkled in, as needed.

For homeowners, the Boreal series (Beauty, Blizzard and Beast) represent an ideal collection of cultivars. Their fruit is substantially larger (close to 3 grams) than the first generation of cultivar releases from the University of Saskatchewan. Furthermore, a planting of all three cultivars will see ripe fruit produced over a two-to-three-week period helping to spread out the enjoyment of fresh, home-grown fruit.

PLANTS AVAILABLE FOR SPRING

Riverbend Orchards is a licensed propagator of the haskap cultivars developed at the University of Saskatchewan. Every year we supply thousands of healthy two-year-old (one gallon) plants to homeowners through the nursery trade as well as to new orchard startups. Plants can also be purchased directly by homeowners at https://riverbend-orchards.square.site. Plants ordered now will be available for pickup at our Portage la Prairie location from mid to late April. These 30-45 cm, container-grown plants have an excellent root system and will often produce a handful of fruit their first year in your garden.

“To hear more about growing haskap and other fruit, go on a stroll through the orchard with the author here.”
https://youtu.be/uFaMnZNLpGU?si=DSxhl3xQtqTfWPzn

Published: March 2025