Blue Honeysuckle, Blueberry honeysuckle
Lonicera caerulea

Family: Caprifoliaceae

What it is like

A deciduous shrub. It grows 1.8-2.4 m high. The crown can be 2 m wide. The branches are thick. The bark is grey-brown and peels in narrow strips. The new leaves can be reddish bronze and have a velvety feel. The leaves are 5-8 cm long. They are narrowly oval. The flowers occur in pairs. They are 12 mm long and yellow. The fruit are deep blue. They are 1 cm long. They develop a whitish bloom when ripe. Lonicera caerulea var. edulis has larger edible fruit. There are several small seeds. They are edible.

There are about 150 Lonicera species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It can grow in full sun or light shade. Plants cannot tolerate wind. It is cold hardy and can tolerate temperatures down to -40°C. It only has a short chilling requirement. It is best is slightly acidic or neutral pH soils. It can grow in alkaline soils. It suits hardiness zones 2-8. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Alaska, Canada, China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Mongolia, North America, Russia, Siberia, USA

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The fruit are used to make jam, jellies or drinks.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings. Plants should be spaced 1 m apart. Male and female plants need to be grown together for fruiting.

It is long lived. A mature plant can yield 6 kg of fruit.

Its other names

Local names

Enumitanne, Hascup, Haskaps, Hasukappu

Synonyms

Lonicera caerulea var. edulis Turcz. ex Herder; Lonicera villosa;