Honeyberry (Haskap): The Japanese-Russian Cold-Hardy Blueberry Substitute
Honeyberries are elongated blue fruits from a honeysuckle relative — cold-hardy down to -45°C and ready to harvest two weeks before strawberries.
The honeyberry or haskap (Lonicera caerulea) is a small elongated dark blue berry from a honeysuckle shrub. It is one of the most cold-hardy fruit plants known — surviving down to -45°C — and produces fruit two weeks before strawberries. Native to the boreal regions of Russia, Japan, and Canada, it has been gathered by the Ainu people of Japan for centuries.
Origin and history
Native to the cool temperate and subarctic regions of Russia, Japan, and Canada. The Ainu people of Hokkaido call it "haskap" (meaning "small fruit with many leaves on it"). Modern commercial cultivation began in Russia in the 1950s; Canadian and Japanese breeding programs have since produced large-fruited cultivars.
Where it grows today
Russia, Japan, Canada (especially Saskatchewan), Poland, and parts of northern Europe produce commercially.
How to grow
USDA Zones 2-7 — exceptionally cold-hardy. Multi-stemmed shrub (1-2m). Need a second compatible cultivar for pollination. First fruit in year 2.
Bottom line
The ideal berry for very cold climates where blueberries struggle. Plant Indigo Gem + Tundra in any northern garden.