Buy Superior Haskap Plants
AgriForest is pleased to offer an array of tissue culture derived Haskap and Honey Berry plants released by the University of Saskatchewan as well as well known American and European Breeders under licensing agreement for propagation and commercialization rights. Lonicera caerulea, also known by its common names blue honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle, fly honeysuckle (blue fly honeysuckle), blue-berried honeysuckle,or the honeyberry, is a non-climbing honeysuckle native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in countries such as Canada, Japan, Russia, and Poland.
Common names: Haskap berry diversity
Lonicera caerulea is known by several common names:
- Haskap (ハスカップ hasukappu) name in the Ainu language spoken by the Ainu people, now mostly living in the northernmost parts of Japan
- Blue honeysuckle: descriptive translation from Russian origin
- Honeyberry: common in North America
- Swamp fly honeysuckle: coined by botanists who found it growing wild in swampy areas of Canada
The Japanese origin edible blue honeysuckles have been named HASKAPS and those of Russian origin have been referred to as HONEY BERRIES. The two groups differ having different growing habits and berry size etc. but they both do have in common is that both produce excellent tasting deep blue berries rich in antioxidants which come very early into production and can be grown in most part of Canada and the Northern regions of the US. Our tissue culture Haskaps and Honey Berry plants are true to the variety, exhibit a denser upright branching habit and floral production resulting in larger berry crop, and are characterised by even ripening for easier harvesting. We have several Haskaps and Honey Berry varieties which are ideal for large scale commercial orchards requiring mechanical harvesting. Please contact us for the best possible selection of varieties for establishing a successful commercial orchard and value-added processing. Before you purchase anywhere contact us for a quote.
Since receiving funding from Saskatchewan Agriculture in 2006, The University of Saskatchewan, under Dr. Bob Bors direction have made controlled crosses, between Japanese, Russian and Kuril parentage, resulting in thousands of Haskap seedlings. This research program has seen impressive results in faster-growing plants and larger and more sweeter and flavoursome berries. Their goal is to combine the best traits from different regions to adapt this crop for mechanical harvesting under the varietal name – Haskap and suited to warmer areas.
Their new varieties (Boreal Beauty and Boreal Blizzard) continue to improve since the introduction of Borealis (2007) with the introduction of higher parental breeding quality. Most of their advanced breeding material are based on hybridizing germplasm from Maxine Thompson (Formally Oregon State University) from material sourced in Japan, Russia and Europe, Jim Gilbert (Northwood’s Nursery) and Maria Plekhanova (Vavilov Institute, Russia).
Dr. Bob Bors is the Head of the Domestic Fruit Program and an Assistant Professor in the Department of the Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, and lead’s Canada’s development of Haskap berries. He began in 1999 to head the Fruit Program at the University. Bob obtained a BSC from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph. Bob’s research focuses on breeding, tissue culture, propagation, disease screening, and interspecific hybridization of horticultural crops with emphasis on fruit and ornamentals .Dr. Bors will share his research experience growing and breeding cold-tolerant fruit, as well as techniques for selecting which fruits to grow in the North.