Lonicera 'Borealis'

If you have not yet tasted a honeyberry, it is something you must try! Similar to a blueberry in color and flavor, the honeyberry has an oblong shape and a more complex flavor. 'Borealis' is one of the tangiest honeyberries, with some tart flavor rounding out its natural sweetness.

Ripening about 2 weeks earlier than strawberries (late spring to early summer in most climates), this dense, lush shrub covers itself in white flowers, then sets large, dark blue berries. Best in part shade, it is packed with antioxidants and makes great juice as well as pie, preserves, and fresh snacks. You can't go wrong with honeyberries!

Beloved in Europe and Asia for centuries but almost unknown here, honeyberry is a relative of the Honeysuckle with sweet, succulent, and VERY edible fruit. 'Borealis' is a compact variety, reaching just 36 to 40 inches high and wide. Plant it near another honeyberry such as Berry Blue™ for heavier crops from both of them!

This hardy deciduous species is untroubled by pests or disease. Honeyberry has no chill requirement, but is hardy to -40 degrees F. No fertilizer is required, but if you decide to use one, a balanced mixture such as 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 is ideal. Mulch as necessary to maintain moisture in the soil. Zones 2-7.

• Butterflies like a lot of sunlight, so locate your garden in a sunny area.
• If you live in a windy location, plant your butterfly-attracting plants near a building, fence, or hedge to protect them.
• Plant a variety of nectar-rich plants, as well as shrubs and evergreens for shelter.
• Since many butterflies and native flowering plants have co-evolved, try to put in some that are native to your area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center provides lists of plants native to states and regions.
• Certain colors are particularly attracting to butterflies – red, yellow, pink, purple, or orange blooms that are clustered or flat-topped, with a short flower tubes are especially attractive to adult butterflies.
• Avoid using pesticides, especially around nectar-producing plants.
• Provide a shallow source of water – try a birdbath with pebbles lining the bowl.
• Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.
• Create a "puddling area" by digging a shallow hole filled with compost or manure where rainwater will collect and release essential salts and minerals.
• If you want butterflies to breed in your garden, put in some caterpillar food plants, such as parsley, milkweeds, asters, thistles, violets, clover, grasses, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
• Since butterflies need nectar throughout the entire adult phase of their lives, try to create a design that will allow for a continuous bloom – when one stops blooming, another starts.

Lonicera
Honeysuckle

Planting:

Space plants with regard to ultimate spread of the species or cultivar you’ve chosen. Honeysuckle is widely tolerant of soil types and locations, but prefers a well-drained loam. Flower production will be most profuse in full sun.

Maintenance:

Easy to grow, honeysuckle requires little attention except to restrain spread of some vining types which can be too aggressive. Prune shrubby varieties hard after flowering, removing a third of wood to ground level each year. A light application of a balanced fertilizer each spring is beneficial.

Zones:

Zones various

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