Lonicera caerulea L.
Blue Honeysuckle has been grown for many years in Russia, Northern China and Japan. Research and variety selection has taken place in these countries for many years. Beaver Lodge Experimental Station in Alberta worked with blue honeysuckle in the 1920's and did release a few seedling varieties. These plants bore fruit but are inferior to the varieties that are now or soon will be available in North America. Blue honeysuckle is a new berry crop for the Prairies.
PLANT-Blue honeysuckle grows quickly as an arching bush that reaches heights of 1.5 to 2m. The leaves have a smooth velvet texture and turn from their bright green color to a bright yellow in the fall. The plant itself can tolerate winter temperatures reaching -45C.
FLOWERS-The small white or yellow funnel shaped flowers are very cold hardy. Frost on the flowers and leaves doesn't easily harm the plant. Flowers can be subject to temperatures reaching -10 C at full bloom and not be damaged.
BERRIES-Fruit production will start 1 to 2 years after planting. The elongated berries are dark blue with a white waxy covering. They can weigh up to 2 grams, and are 3-4 cm long. The seeds are very small and unnoticeable to the consumer. They have a very pleasant sweet tart taste. The berries have many health benefits. They are high in vitamin C(50-70mg/100g of fresh berries), thyocanins and phenolic compounds(both have antioxidant properties). The berries are also said to lower blood pressure and aid in malaria and gastrointestinal diseases
Blue honeysuckle is easily propagated by seeds, cuttings, or layering. Cultivars are available in the United States, and new cultivars will be released soon from the University of Saskatchewan. Plantings should be 6' apart or 3-4' apart for more of a hedge. The plants should be located in an area with full sun but also with shelter from winds. These plants will tolerate most well drained fertile soil. They do require irrigation when it is hot and dry. Frequent moderate irrigation will alleviate any heat stress, but the plants must not be over watered. A mulch such as sawdust, compost or peat moss may help to conserve water. Two varieties should be planted to insure pollination, as these plants are not always self fertile.
Blue honeysuckle is pruned in a similar way to that of saskatoons or dwarf sour cherries. Prune in early spring. Start by removing just dead branches for the first 3-5 years. The bush can be more severely pruned after it has established. Remove overlapping and weak branches from the center of the bush along with any dead or broken branches. Generally there is minimal pruning to do on the blue honeysuckle bush.
Fertilizer can be applied in early spring. Young blue honeysuckle leaves can be tender and burn from ammonia sulphate fertilizer, making fish meal or calcium nitrate more suitable during the first few years. Compost manure is also an alternative that can be tried.
Blue honeysuckle has very few pests and has not been bothered by many diseases in Saskatchewan. Botrytis, a fungal disease can be a problem in moist areas but can be treated. Due to the low numbers of pests and diseases, blue honeysuckle would make a good candidate for organic fruit production in Saskatchewan.
Blue honeysuckle will be the first fruit of the season in Saskatchewan. The berries are ready to harvest by mid to late June. This is about two weeks before strawberry season. Mature trees can produce 6-7 kg of fruit per tree. Over the row harvesters can be used making blue honeysuckle the perfect addition to an orchard that already mechanically harvests saskatoons and dwarf sour cherries. The same cooling and storage facilities can be used for blue honeysuckle and other berry crops such as saskatoons because the honeysuckle is harvested so much earlier in the year.
Blue honeysuckle is quite popular in countries like Japan where they make numerous products with the berries. Everything that you can make with saskatoons or blueberries you can make with blue honeysuckle. The berries can be used in jam, jelly, pie filling, ice cream, yogurt, candies, etc. The red-purple color pigments are very stable and are not destroyed during processing. The vibrant colored juice can be used to color other products.
Photos courtesy of Maxine Thompson, Oregon state University.
This web page was created by Janine Kopanko-Kerber on Dec.1 2002. This was used as an assignment for the Advanced Fruit Growing Class at the University of Saskatchewan.