Blue Honeysuckle Blue Honeysuckle (Haskap) Production Biology and Varieties a.k.a. Haskap; a.k.a. Honeyberry; a.k.a. Sweetberry Honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea Found across Canada Some uptake into areas of the United States Until recently, availability had been limited to ornamental plant selections Fruit Uses Japanese market = Haskap = many uses Canadian market Fresh; jams or jellies; dessert ingredient; etc. Wines? Dried Haskap? High stability of fruit juice pigments MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER+ Blue Honeysuckle?? Day Neutral Strawberry??? Everbearing Strawberry??? June Bearing Strawberry Saskatoon Berry Floricane Raspberry (Summerbearing) Primocane Raspberry (Fall bearing) Sour Cherry Currant / Gooseberry Chokecherry Plum Apple Hazelnuts Grapes First fruit of the season compared to other prairie fruit Pears Sea Buckthorn History Variability in fruit shape in Lonicera species Grown in Japan (Hokkaido Island) for centuries Grown in Russia for 50 60 years Relatively new to Canada (as a cultivated crop) Plant samples have been found across Canada Breeding: Oregon (uses Japanese selections) U of Saskatchewan Domestic Fruit Program About a decade Uses Russian, Kuril Island crosses Photo by Bob Bors 1
Characteristics of Different Plant Material (Germplasm) Fruit Size SK Russia Japan Small Med to small Large to small Kuril Islands Large U of S varieties Large (2x Russian) Productivity Low High Variable Low Very High Cold Hardy? Yes Yes Unknown Yes Yes Fruit Shape Round Tubular Round Oval Round/Oval Harvest season Unknown June Probably July July June Biology Height (average) = 1.5 2 m (4 6 feet) On own roots No suckers Ripening Unknown Even Uneven Even Even Disease Resistance Unknown Variable Variable Resistant Resistant Unknown Variable Variable Good Excellent Individual Haskapbushes Note opposite leaves Photo by Sharon Faye Biology Honeysuckle bush in flower Flowers Born in pairs Pale yellow/white flowers 2
Honeysuckle flowers Biology Fruit Tubular shape Made up of 2 ovaries each (1 flower per ovary), with a sheath that covers and joins the 2 ovaries Photo by Bob Bors Immature fruit Fruiting Blue Honeysuckle Note presence of both ripe and green fruit Photo by Sharon Faye Another fruiting Haskap selection Fallen fruit after harvest 3
Hardiness All plant parts are very hardy Dormant plants = 45 C Young, active shoots = 18 C Open flowers = 7 C INSTA POLL WHAT CHARACTERISTIC APPEALS TO YOU THE MOST? Varieties Old Russian types (a.k.a. Honeyberries) Berry Blue, Blue Belle, etc. Typically more irregular in shape VARIETIES Japanese varieties Typically later flowering and somewhat less hardy U of Saskatchewan breeding program is; ; Indigo Treat; ; New varieties = series (Beauty, Beast, Blizzard) U of SK cultivars = larger fruit, more uniform, better taste, hardier, minimal Powdery Mildew U OF SASKATCHEWAN RELEASES is (formerly 9 15) Blue Belle Indigo Treat (formerly 9 91) (formerly 9 92) Berry Blue U of S fruit photos by Dr. Bob Bors 4
Varietal Comparisons Russian Varieties Various Variable Variable Variable Aurora Beast Beauty Commercial / Mechanical 1.49 Good Long, flat, bullet / oval shaped is Home Garden 1.62 Good Short, flat, boxy (9 15) Processing? 1.30 2x other selections Robust, short oval shaped Indigo Treat (9 91) Unknown 1.41 Good Flat cylindrical Blizzard U of S fruit photos by Dr. Bob Bors (9 92) Unknown 1.29 Good Long flat ovalshaped Undetermined (meant as a pollinator) Varietal Comparisons 1.9 Good Cylindrical Aurora Home Garden 1.9 Good Pointed pear Blizzard Beauty Beast Fresh / U pick 2.8 3.9 Heavy Unknown 2.6 3.7 Large Processing 1.86 2.06 Large Surfboard round, narrow ends, wide centre Thick heart or thick oval Thick heart / Thick oval Russian Varieties Varietal Comparisons (cont d) mech harvest / Inferior No / No Variable Good Yes / Yes Good is Best Tasting No / Limited Less than (9 15) Good Yes Chewy Indigo Treat (9 91) Excellent Yes (9 92) More tangy Yes Other Comments Non uniform ripening Good pollinators Easier to propagate than 9 92 Hard to propagate Varietal Comparisons (cont d) Good (somewhat tart) mech harvest / No Good Aurora Excellent Maybe / No Good Blizzard Beauty Beast Excellent Yes Very good Excellent Yes Average Excellent; good aroma & aftertaste Well suited; even ripening Excellent Other Comments Tall plant; meant as pollinator to BTI Taller plants than is; will pollinize other releases Strong, upright branches; Late flowering / ripening Blooms & ripens later Strong vigour; upright bush; mildew resistant Commercial / Mechanical 1.49 Good Good Yes / Yes Good Long, flat, bullet / ovalshaped 5
is Home Garden 1.62 Good Short, flat, boxy Mid Best Tasting No / Limited Less than Processing? 1.30 2x other selections Good Yes Chewy Robust, short oval shaped Indigo Treat Unknown 1.41 Good Flat cylindrical Unknown 1.29 Good Long flat ovalshaped Excellent Yes Easier to propagate than 9 92 More tangy Yes Hard to propagate Aurora Home Garden 1.9 Good Pointed pear Mid Undetermined (pollinator) 1.9 Good Cylindrical Mid Excellent Maybe / No Good Taller plants than is; will pollinize other releases Good (somewhat tart) No Good Tall plant; meant as pollinator to BTI 6
Beauty Beast Unknown 2.6 3.7 Large Thick heart or thick oval Late Excellent Yes Average Blooms & ripens later Processing 1.86 2.06 Large Excellent; good aroma & aftertaste Well suited; even ripening Excellent Thick heart / Thick oval Late Strong vigour; upright bush; mildew resistant Blizzard Harvest Fresh / U pick 2.8 3.9 Heavy Surfboard round, narrow ends, wide centre Excellent Yes Very good Mid/Late Strong, upright branches; Late flowering / ripening Late May June Late June Indigo Treat July is Aurora Beast Blizzard Late July Beauty Aug Late Aug Sept Yezberry Honey Bunch (L. caerulea Kaido ) JAPANESE SELECTIONS (MAXINE THOMPSON S OREGON PROGRAM) Yezberry Maxie (L. caerulea Kuchi ) Yezberry Solo (L. caerulea Kapu ) Photos from Spring Meadow Nurseries Yezberry Sugar Pie (L. caerulea Hoka ) 7
Sugar Mountain Blue (L. caerulea Dolce Vita ) Sugar Mountain Eisbär (L. caerulea 54 57 ) QUESTIONS??? Photos from Spring Meadow Nurseries Sugar Mountain Balalaika (L. caerulea Stimul ) Rob Spencer, BSA, MSc, P.Ag. Commercial Horticulture Specialist robert.spencer@gov.ab.ca Alberta Ag Info Centre 310 FARM 8