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* [[Bee-friendly plants|Bee plant]] (like most honeysuckles) | * [[Bee-friendly plants|Bee plant]] (like most honeysuckles) | ||
==Cooking== | ==Cooking== | ||
Generally speaking, can substitute for blueberry in recipes. | |||
''Add recipes or links here'' | |||
==Nutritional Values== | ==Nutritional Values== | ||
Revision as of 07:17, 26 May 2019
Template:Italic title This article discusses cultivation, uses and preservation of Lonicera caerulea, a cool climate shrub with edible fruit in the honeysuckle family. The plant may perform moderately well as part of the shrub layer in a temperate climate forest garden.
Background Information
Taxonomy
Family: Caprifoliaceae ("honeysuckle family")
Genus: Lonicera
Species: L. caerulea
Common names
- Honeyberry
- Sweetberry Honeysuckle
- Haskap (haskappu, hascap, hascup)
- Blue-berried Honeysuckle / Blue honeysuckle
- Deepblue Honeysuckle
- Bluefly honeysuckle
- Edible honeysuckle
- Swamp fly honeysuckle
Etymology
Haskap -- from Ainu language meaning "little present on the end of the branch".
History
Varieties
Characteristics
Range
Native to:
Albania, Amur, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Chita, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Korea, Kuril Is., Magadan, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Primorye, Romania, Sakhalin, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia
Introduced into:
Norway
[Source= Plants of the World Online][1]
Morphology
Mature height 1.2-1.5 m (5"), spread 1.5 m (5")[2][3]
Fruits 0.8-1.0cm long, dark blue.
Growth Habit
Fast growing, deciduous shrub.[4]
Reproduction
At least 2 plants needed for good cropping.
Flowering from late winter[2] to spring (March-April in UK).[3] Flowers frost tolerant.[3]
Fruiting in summer.
Requirements
Hardiness
Soil Type
Tolerant of most soils.[3] Well-drained, organic matter rich soil is ideal.[2]
Soil pH
Tolerates acidic and alkaline soil.[2]
Shade Preference
Full sun
Shade Tolerance
Moderate shade, cropping reduced
Aspect
Exposure
Cultivation
Easy to grow
Planting
Other sources advise Potted or bare rooted plants in winter.[3]
Forest Gardening
Companion Planting
Allelopathy
Propagation
Semi ripe cuttings in late summer. Hardwood cuttings in winter.[3]
Maintenance
Low maintenance. Annual application of balanced fertilizer.[2] Over fertilization will lead to vigorous growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.[2] Mulch around base of plant.
Watering
Pruning
Problems
Resistant to pests and disesases[4]
Harvest
Harvest when berries darken and soften.[3]
Stores for about 1 week.
Preservation
- Freezing
Uses
Berries can be eaten raw.[4] Seeds are very small, so no need to seive.
- Jams
- Jellies
- Fruit leather
Secondary uses:
- Bee plant (like most honeysuckles)
Cooking
Generally speaking, can substitute for blueberry in recipes.
Add recipes or links here
Nutritional Values
- High in antioxidants (3x higher than blueberries).
- High in Vitamin C
- High in calcium