Sarah ArnoldFeb 14, 2024

Have you ever heard of #haskaps? (You may also know the plant as #honeyberry, or (blue) fly honeysuckle, depending on where you come from!)

I hadn't until probably a year ago.

They're a species of #honeysuckle, essentially, with edible #berries, and some growers cultivate them as a commercial crop. They're quite niche in the UK still (but there are a few specialist growers), but more prominent elsewhere. (Apparently, though in some countries they're believed to be toxic!)

#horticulture

Show threadSarah ArnoldFeb 14, 2024

Rather than being climbers like regular honeysuckle, haskap (Lonicera caerulea) is more of a shrubby bush thing.

They're native to boreal type regions - northern USA/Canada, colder areas of Japan, Eastern Europe and Siberia. The flowers are hardy in temperatures as cold as -7°C, and the bush itself will tolerate temperatures right down to -46°C. So they're really tough (also pretty tolerant of hot, dry summers and a bit of periodic waterlogging, it seems).

Show threadPollinators
@sejarnold. Here is another compliment for the #haskaps, the flowers are early in the season and numerous. The queen bumblebees are looking for a steady food source early in the season. #pollinators. #minnesota, #Zone4b.
Feb 15, 2024 at 12:07amWeb