The best varieties of edible honeysuckle
Tundra, Blue Dessert, Assol, Ussulga are delicious, healthy and unpretentious varieties of honeysuckle. They are grown in the southern and northern regions of Russia, the plants are distinguished by their immunity, most bear fruit already 3-4 years after planting. Early varieties ripen in early June, late varieties - closer to July. The culture is resistant to fruit shedding; tinctures, jams, confitures and other sweets are prepared from the berries.
Let's consider a description of the best varieties of edible honeysuckle, features of their cultivation and use.
Varieties of edible honeysuckle
A review of popular varieties contains information on ripening time, commercial qualities and taste, and yield. A description of the different honeysuckle crops will help gardeners make the right choice.
Blue dessert
Honeysuckle is mid-early, harvested after June 15. The bushes are medium-sized, the shoots grow upright and are brown-red. The berries are colored blue and have a thin bluish coating. The shape is drop-shaped, the average weight is 0.8 g. The skin is thin, the flesh is juicy and aromatic, the taste is sweet and sour. Tasting score - 5 points. The berries do not fall off and are suitable for fresh consumption and processing.
Bell
The variety is early ripening, universal in use. The bushes are vigorous, up to 1.8 m high, and require a spacious place for planting. The leaves are large, dark green. The berries are bell-shaped, blue-blue, lumpy. They weigh about 0.8 g, the skin is thin. The taste is sweet and sour, without bitterness. Productivity is up to 2 kg per bush over the summer.Among the advantages of Honeysuckle Bell are winter hardiness and strong immunity.
Boreal Beauty
A tasty and sweet variety of Canadian selection. The bushes are low-growing and compact, the shoots are strong and do not bend under the weight of the fruit. The average weight of the oval oblong berries is 2 g, the pulp is dense and juicy. Honeysuckle does not fall off and is suitable for manual and mechanized harvesting. Boreal Beauty ripens in late July or early August, fruiting is extended.
Tundra
The bushes are wide-growing, spreading, up to 130 cm high. The fruits are elongated, oval, weigh about 1.2 g. Slightly lumpy, colored blue-violet, covered with a waxy coating. The taste is sweet and sour; when the soil is waterlogged, the acid intensifies. Honeysuckle Tundra is a frost-resistant and unpretentious variety to grow. The berries are used to make preserves and jams, juices and tinctures. Some summer residents freeze fruits for the winter.
Zinri
Honeysuckle Zinri comes from Belarus, ripening period is mid-early. Summer residents value it for its large and sweet fruits: weight - about 1 g, oval-cylindrical shape, sweet and fleshy pulp. Zinri has a pleasant aroma and is not bitter. Productivity - up to 2.3 kg per plant, high winter hardiness. The plant is not damaged by aphids and wasps and is disease resistant. The bushes are upright, up to 1.5 m high, the shoots are strong.
Attention! Most bushes are self-fertile, so experienced gardeners recommend growing 2-3 different varieties on a plot. This will ensure cross-pollination and increase yield.
Boreal Best
The dessert variety is late-ripening, harvested in late July or early August. The bushes are medium-sized, the leaves are small, light green. The berries are large, oval in shape, blue-blue in color. The pulp is tender and juicy, tasting score - 4.5 points.The berries do not fall off, the harvest is used for transportation, storage and processing. One plant produces up to 4 kg of tasty honeysuckle over the summer.
Bogatyr
The bushes are medium-sized, up to 1.8 m high, the crown is rounded. The berries are large, one reaches 3 g, the shape is pear-shaped and elongated. The color is purple-black, with a waxy coating, the skin is of medium thickness. The taste is harmonious and sweet, tasting score - 4.8 points. Honeysuckle Bogatyr is unpretentious in cultivation, quickly adapts to climatic conditions, and responds favorably to mineral and organic fertilizers.
Delicacy
The plant is compact, up to 1 m high, the crown is rounded. Small shrubs fit into small garden spaces. The berries are blue and smooth, average weight - 0.8 g. The pulp is dense, sweet and sour, no bitterness. Fruiting occurs in June-July, the bush produces up to 1.5 kg of berries. Honeysuckle is a delicacy eaten fresh or used in cooking: the fruits are added to baked goods, desserts, drinks, and sauces.
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Fire opal
The shoots are pubescent dark green, the height of the bush is average. Fire opal ripens in July, fruiting continues until August. The berries are blue-blue, weigh about 1.2 g, with a waxy coating. The taste is balanced sweet and sour, no bitterness. Honeysuckle is valued for its immunity to powdery mildew, ease of cultivation and frost resistance.
Narymskaya
Narymskaya dessert honeysuckle, universal in use. The ripening period is early, the bushes are compact, the shoots are slightly pubescent. The berries are violet-blue, with a blue coating, weigh about 0.9 g, and the peel is dense. The taste is sweet and sour, tasting score - 4.8 points. The plant blooms in mid-May. The yield of the variety is up to 2 kg of berries per bush.The fruits are suitable for all types of processing.
Attention! The sourness in the honeysuckle pulp appears due to excess watering. It is not recommended to overwater the crop, especially if the summer is rainy. Water the plant no more than once every 2-3 weeks.
Star
The variety is large-fruited, berry weight is up to 2.8 g. The shape of the fruit is oval, the color is blue-violet, with a bluish bloom. Zvezdochka bears fruit in June, shedding is weak. The taste is sweet and sour, with a bright blueberry aroma. The pulp is juicy and soft, pleasant. The bushes are straight and branched, up to 2 m high. The variety is resistant to rot and powdery mildew, self-pollinating.
Persistent
The unpretentious variety is common in the central part of the country and the northern regions. Honeysuckle got its name due to its frost resistance and unpretentiousness. The ripening period is late. The plant is tall, spreading, and the shoots are matte purple. The weight of the berry is about 0.8 g, the shape is oval, the surface is bumpy. The color is blue, with a waxy coating. The taste is sweet and sour, with a slight bitterness, tasting score - 4.2 points. The culture is resistant to spotting and rot.
My joy
The ripening period is medium-late. The plant is medium-sized, with straight matte pinkish shoots. The purpose of honeysuckle is dessert: the berries are eaten fresh or sent for processing. The berries are round-oval, dark blue, with a waxy coating, weigh about 1 g. The taste is delicate, there is no bitterness. The aroma is weak. Ripe berries do not fall off and do not lose their commercial qualities and taste. The yield of the variety per season is about 2.3 kg per bush.
Pushkinskaya
Pushkinskaya is frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -27°C. The shoots grow quickly, the spreading is average, the crown is flat-rounded. An early ripening dessert variety.The berries are cylindrical in shape and blue-violet in color, the skin is thin, with a waxy coating, the surface is slightly lumpy. The average weight of the fruit is 1 g. The aroma is sweet, the pulp is tasty, the tasting score is 4.4 points. Harvest by mid-June; the fruits are easily torn from the stalk.
Assol
The bushes are medium-sized and medium-compressed, the shoots are matte and hairless. Assol is valued for its precociousness, early ripening, and unpretentiousness. The berries are dark purple, with a waxy coating, weigh 1.1 g. The taste is sweet and sour and aromatic, tasting score - 5 points. Honeysuckle Assol is not affected by aphids, borers and stink bugs.
Attention! To strengthen the immune system, plants are sprayed with a mixture of potassium permanganate and wood ash. This feeding will protect against diseases and accelerate the development of fruits. Over the summer, 2-3 procedures are performed.
Zoyka
The bushes are vigorous, the crown is oval, the shoots are matte. The leaves are concave and dark green. The fruits are oval, with a slightly bumpy surface, weigh about 1 g. The color is blue, with a waxy coating. The taste is simple, with tart notes. Zoyka is undemanding when it comes to growing conditions and can withstand temperatures down to -40°C. To obtain a rich harvest, it is recommended to plant other pollinating varieties nearby.
Kingfisher
Dessert variety of medium-late ripening period. The bushes are vigorous and compressed, the flowers are yellow. The berries are large, oval, with a thick tip. The color is dark blue, with a blue tint, and there is slight pubescence. The taste is refreshing and aromatic, there is no bitterness. Berry weight is 1.1 g, yield is up to 2 kg per bush. Kingfisher's score is 4.8 points.
Princess
An unpretentious variety to grow with a medium early ripening period. The berries are oval blue-blue. Weight - up to 1.8 g, the taste is sweet and harmonious, the flesh is juicy.The Princess bears fruit for the 3rd year after planting; up to 3 kg of crop is harvested from the bush. In addition to tasty and healthy berries, the variety is distinguished by its decorative appearance - the plant is planted along the fence or next to summerhouses.
Ussulga
The ripening period is mid-early, the purpose is universal. The shoots are straight and matte, heavily pubescent. The berries are elongated-oval, weigh from 1.3 g to 1.5 g. The color is dark purple, with a waxy coating. The skin is thin, but durable, without pubescence. Ussulga is resistant to berry shedding and cracking. The taste is sweet, without bitterness, tasting score - 5 points. Honeysuckle is not affected by diseases and pests and quickly adapts to any climatic conditions.
Blue Velvet
Attractive and beautiful honeysuckle. The ripening period is medium-late, the plant is undemanding to growing conditions. The fruits are oblong-oval, 3 cm long, with an average weight of 1.2 g. The skin is thin, the flesh is juicy, the taste is sweet and sour, not bitter. The fruits stay on the bushes for a long time and do not fall off. The plants are compact, with a neat oval crown. The berries are used to make preserves and jams, honeysuckle juices and compotes. The dishes are not only tasty, but also healthy.
Souvenir
Mid-season honeysuckle Souvenir is grown in all regions of the country. The bushes are medium-sized, with an oval and dense crown. The leaves are medium dark green. The berries are large, oval-elongated, blue in color. Weight - about 1 g, thin skin. The taste is pleasant, the aroma is average, the tasting score is 4.7 points. Winter hardiness and drought resistance are high, the variety is not damaged by insect pests. Flowering occurs in May, regardless of weather conditions.
Inedible species and varieties
Of the inedible species and varieties of honeysuckle, cap berry and wolfberry (common honeysuckle) are distinguished. The cap performs decorative functions: a low-growing green shrub decorates the garden with original flowers and leaves. Wolfberry is found mainly in forests; its fruits are poisonous to humans.
Wolfberry
Honeysuckle, real or common, is inedible or poisonous depending on the variety. This honeysuckle grows in forests or fields, mainly in the north and central Russia. The leaves are opposite, dark green, elliptical. The flowers are yellowish-white and appear in May–June. The fruits are dark red, spherical, ripen at the end of July, poisonous: they contain the glycoside xylostein.
Wolfberry is a collective name for some plants: belladonna, crow's eye, honeysuckle, wolfberry and others.
Pallas
This subspecies of blue honeysuckle grows in swampy and forested areas. The shrubs are low-growing, the shoots are thin and brown, the green leaves are small. The berries are unsuitable for fresh consumption, but after processing they are used in folk medicine. Honeysuckle contains organic acids and is rich in vitamin C.
Attention! At the beginning of ripening, some varieties of wolfberry are easily confused with sea buckthorn. A characteristic feature of the first is that the fruits grow directly on the stem, close to each other. In sea buckthorn, the berries are arranged in a more chaotic order.
Shapochnaya
Cap honeysuckle has fragrant flowers, green glossy leaves, ovate or lanceolate. The fruits are spherical and, depending on the variety, acquire a red, yellow or purple color. The height of the bushes is up to 1.3 m. The crop blooms in May–June and bears fruit in October.
Shiny Elegant
The shrub is evergreen, low-growing, no more than 0.5 m high. The flowers are creamy-white, the leaves are small, dark green. The brilliant honeysuckle Elegant blooms in May, the fruits are small, 4 mm in diameter. Culture grows on any soils, plant it in the sun or partial shade. Honeysuckle is unpretentious in cultivation; summer residents plant it as a hedge.
Bedspread
The height of the bush is 2-3 m, the foliage is dense, the crown is wide. Honeysuckle blooms in May, the flowers are yellow, and after a few weeks small black fruits appear. The species bears fruit 3 years after planting. Honeysuckle is shade-tolerant, but grows best in well-lit areas. They can be planted singly or in several bushes at once - such plantings look impressive on the site.
Henry
The height of the evergreen climbing shrub is 4–6 m, sometimes reaching 8 m. The leaves are ovate-oblong green. The flowers are small, paired, yellow-red. The plant is shade-tolerant and blooms in May-June. The fruits are round and black, with a diameter of 3 mm. Henry's honeysuckle is suitable for cultivation in any region of the country and is rarely damaged by insect pests. Shrubs are used to create landscape design.
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Frost-resistant early ripening honeysuckle variety “Lakomka”
Korolkova
Decorative honeysuckle Korolkov is used for single and group plantings in dachas, gardens and personal plots. Height - up to 3 m, leaves are elliptical, blue-green in color with a bluish bloom. The flowers are pink ornate. The fruits are spherical, orange-red in color.For planting, it is recommended to choose illuminated places: the plant blooms poorly in the shade.
Conclusion
Popular garden varieties edible honeysuckle — Asterisk, Pushkinskaya, Souvenir, to decorate the garden they grow cap honeysuckle, common honeysuckle, Henry, Korolkova. The plant is planted in open ground, having previously chosen a place. Spacious areas are suitable for tall and spreading shrubs; small areas are suitable for compressed and compact ones.
Honeysuckle is easy to care for and does not require special growing conditions. Ripe fruits are suitable for any type of processing: berries are used to prepare desserts, drinks, and baked goods. This is one of the healthiest berries, which contains vitamins C, P, group B, magnesium and sodium, pectin, tannins and anthocyanins.