Edible Honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea)

Honeyberries or Haskaps (from Japanese native Aino language “hassukappu”) grow all around the northern hemisphere spanning Siberia, the Japanese islands, boreal Canada all the way down to Mexico.  It has a phenomenal geographic range and is becoming more popular as a cultivated fruit plant.  Many wild varieties are astringent and tart, leading them to have been mostly used for medicinal purposes, or admixed with more flavorful berries.  But selections from the wild, and 1st and 2nd generation crossings, have resulted in remarkably sweet and flavorful cultivars.  We are giving them a try to see if they can become a new homestead favorite.