Giant’s Heart Honeyberry

Giant’s Heart Honeyberry

Giant’s Heart Honeyberry is a patented cultivar from Berries Unlimited! Belonging to the Blue Treasure group of very late ripening honeyberries, cultivated by Lidia R. Delafield Stuart. Pollination and production would benefit greatly from being planted alongside another very late variety. Look at Boreal Beast, Strawberry Sensation, Aurora, and possibly even Tundra which overlap within a week of one another. Fruit matures into late June, and early July extended your honeyberry season. Its name matches the appearance of the ovular heart shaped fruit and as honeyberries go, they are rather giant. The fruit is sweet, firm, rewarding to pick, and the giant’s heart is said to provide up to an eight pound yield after reaching full maturity. Really suitable for commercial growth, it has a vigorous and upright growth habit that forms into a dense dome shaped crown.

Late Blooming Honeyberry Varieties

These varieties bloom up to 2 months later in the NW region than the early blooming varieties. Later blooming means that more bees and other insects are available for pollination and fruit set is significantly better. These varieties are also good for east of the Cascade Mountains, and other colder regions of the US.

Latin Name: Lonicera caerulea var. emphyllocalyx 
Site and Soil: Honeyberry likes 1/2 day to full sun in the Pacific Northwest and other cool regions, partial shade in hot regions, and well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Two varieties with similar bloom time are needed for cross-pollination.
Hardiness: Hardy to minus 40º F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 5 ft by 5 ft
Taste: Sweet
Fruit Skin: Blue
Fruit Size: Large
Bloom Time: March
Ripening Time: June
Yield: 5-10 lbs.
Pests & Diseases:  To deter birds, use mylar flash tape or cover plants with netting. Powdery mildew is common fungal disease that affects Honeyberry plants, but doesn’t cause significant damage.
USDA Zone: 3
Sunset Western Zone: A1-A3; 1-3
Sunset Northeast Zone: 31-45