Lonicera caerulea Honeyberry

A shrubby honeysuckle native throughout much of the northern hemisphere in North America, Europe and Asia where it is frequently found at the edge of bogs in boreal forests! The supremely hardy deciduous shrubs have oval, blue-green leaves and small yellowish-green blossoms that emerge in spring. Flowers quickly develop to crops of flavorful, barrel-shaped blue fruit that ripen in June as the strawberries mature. The fruit is excellent for fresh eating with a flavor that resembles a tart blueberry. Fruit can also be incorporated into an assortment of jams, jelly, ice cream, yogurt and even wine! Multiple plants are important for the best fruit set with the most prolific cultivars yielding more than 6 lbs. of fruit in a season. Several cultivars have been developed through the years for larger, more flavorful fruit and increased yields.