Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant honeyberries
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.
Your dates in
Honeyberries are an edible honeysuckle from cold northern regions of Asia and North America, with elongated blue berries often described as a mix of blueberry and raspberry. The bushes grow about 4 to 6 feet tall, and the berries are eaten fresh, frozen or in jam. Unlike blueberries, they don't need acidic soil.
Puts honeyberries on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun; part shade east of the Cascades
- Spacing
- 4 to 5 feet apart
- Planting depth
- Same depth as in the pot
- Frost
- Hardy perennial; comes back every year
- First harvest
- A few berries in year two or three; good crops by year four or five
Also called haskap. Very cold-hardy bushes that bloom in late winter and give the first berries of the year, before strawberries. You need two compatible varieties that bloom at the same time for fruit.
Honeyberry planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 5 – Apr 30 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 13 – May 8 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 4 – Apr 29 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 23 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 25 |
| Lakeview, OR | Apr 23 – Jun 18 |
| Madras, OR, Prineville, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
| Baker City, OR, Enterprise and Joseph, OR, John Day, OR | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
|---|---|
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – May 13 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 16 – May 11 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 25 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 10 – May 5 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 11 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 26 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 3 – May 29 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – May 15 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 7 – Jun 2 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 22 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
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| Lewiston, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Emmett, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Mar 20 – May 15 |
|---|---|
| McCall, ID | May 11 – Jul 6 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 1 – May 27 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 20 – Jun 15 |
Honeyberry year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| Harvest | May | Jun |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.
How to grow honeyberries
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant honeyberry bushes on your city's dates, 4 to 5 feet apart. Same depth as in the pot.
- Plant two compatible varieties that bloom together. Mulch well and water through the first two summers; after that they need very little.
- Harvest: Wait until the berries are purple-blue inside as well as outside, about a week after they turn blue. Taste first: underripe ones are sour.
Growing honeyberries in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Honeyberries bloom very early, sometimes in February in mild winters. Birds love the fruit; net plants.
East of the Cascades
Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho
Honeyberries are very hardy and do well in cold winters. Water in dry spells.
High desert and mountain towns
Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon
Honeyberries are among the hardiest fruits and handle the coldest winters in the region.
More honeyberry varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Aurora
One of the sweetest and most productive varieties, with large, flavorful berries. It pairs well with Borealis and Honey Bee for pollination.
Both sides
Borealis
A smaller bush with large, sweet berries, good for small gardens. It needs a compatible partner like Aurora or Tundra.
Both sides
Boreal Blizzard
Big, sweet, elongated berries on a vigorous bush. It blooms a little later than many, so match it with another late-blooming variety.
Both sides
Indigo Gem
A reliable, heavy producer with chewy, tangy-sweet berries. Many growers pair it with Tundra or Honey Bee.
Both sides
How much to grow
How many to plant
At least two compatible varieties that bloom together. For a family of four, 3 to 6 bushes.
What to expect
About 3 to 7 pounds per mature bush.
Storing the harvest
Keep a few days in the fridge. Freeze on a tray.
Key numbers
- Below -40°FCold hardiness
- 5.5–7.5Soil pH
- Year 4–5First full crops
- BirdsBiggest risk
Top care tip: Net the bushes in late spring, because birds take the berries the moment they color.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
The earliest berry of the year
Honeyberries (also called haskap) are a blue-fruited honeysuckle from cold northern regions. The bushes bloom in late winter, and the flowers shrug off frosts that would ruin other fruit. Berries ripen in late spring, a couple of weeks before the first strawberries. They taste like a mix of blueberry and raspberry with a tart edge.
Pollination partners
A single honeyberry bush sets little or no fruit. Plant at least two different varieties that bloom at the same time; nurseries list which ones pair up. Early bees and bumblebees do the pollinating, so a site that gets winter sun helps.
Easy care
Unlike blueberries, honeyberries aren't fussy about soil pH and grow in most garden soils that drain well. Mulch, water through the first two summers and prune lightly in late winter once bushes are a few years old, removing old, weak or crossing stems. Net them before the berries color; birds love them.
Good neighbors
Good neighbors
- Another honeyberry variety. They need a partner to set fruit.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with honeyberries in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Birds
Signs: Berries disappear as they color.
What to do: Net the bushes in late spring.
Powdery mildew
Signs: White coating on leaves in late summer.
What to do: Mostly cosmetic after harvest.
Common questions about growing honeyberries
When should I plant honeyberries in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
What do honeyberries taste like?
Most people describe a mix of blueberry and raspberry, sometimes with a slightly tart finish. Flavor varies by variety and ripeness.
Why don't my honeyberries have fruit?
Usually they're too young or have no compatible partner nearby. Plant two varieties that bloom together, and give them three to five years.
Are honeyberries the same as other honeysuckles?
No. Only blue honeysuckle varieties sold for fruit are edible. Many ornamental honeysuckles have berries that should not be eaten.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Grapes
Hardy kiwi
Currants
Gooseberries
Elderberries