I ran across honeyberries in the “unusual and unique fruit” sections of fruit catalogs looooong before I ever saw a shrub for sale in an actual greenhouse. (Like, 10 years earlier.) This is a fantastic fruiting shrub with a lot to offer – but because honeyberries are relatively new to the fruit gardening market, it can be time-consuming to pin down what kind of growing environment this hardy fruiting shrub needs, what to expect in terms of fruit production and quality, and other gardening tips and advice on the plant. This article covers some of my biggest questions about growing these unusual (but awesome!) berries – about the honeyberry, how to care for honeyberry bushes, and about the fruit of the honeyberry.
If you’ve ever considered growing honeyberries but weren’t sure if the plant was right for you, I highly recommend giving this tough little shrub a chance. As long as your growing environment is zone 3 or above, the honeyberry can handle your temperatures – and the fruit doesn’t require the fussiness of acidifying that blueberries do. If you’re looking for a resilient, plant-it-and-forget-it fruiting shrub, it’s hard to go wrong with the honeyberry.
This post was originally published in 2023. The post has since been updated to keep information and links current.