Edible honeysuckle - the best varieties

Edible honeysuckle, the best varieties of which grow in humid areas, came to us from China. Honeysuckle loves the sun very much, it is moisture-loving and does not react well to strong winds. The shrub is a low plant up to 1.5 meters in height.

Not only is the plant not very tall, it puts a lot of effort into even reaching this point. During the first year of life, honeysuckle grows by an average of only 5 cm. With each subsequent year, its growth increases. The plant is quite durable, used in ancient times for making shoes and agricultural tools.

Young shoots are red. The leaves are oval-shaped, pale green, drooping. Honeysuckle blooms with very fragrant white flowers collected in inflorescences. Its flowering can be observed in June.

Honeysuckle is a medicinal plant that bears fruit for 3-4 years. Honeysuckle fruits are oval-shaped and dark blue in color. They are large and ripen gradually, so they can be collected throughout the summer. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour. The fruits contain many vitamins, organic acids, and sugars. They contain phenols, pectin, tannins, etc.
Honeysuckle has anti-inflammatory, diuretic, capillary-strengthening and other properties. Moreover, not only fruits are used for medicinal purposes. The bark, leaves and young branches have no less valuable properties. Honeysuckle is a symbol of youth and long life; it is not for nothing that the name of the plant comes from two words: life and youth.

Honeysuckle is found both in the wild and in garden plots. It has several varieties and grows well throughout Russia. There are inedible varieties characterized by distinct red or black fruits called wolfberry. They can be used as an ornamental plant, but the fruits have a strong poisonous effect.

Honeysuckle - the best varieties for the northwest

The best varieties of honeysuckle for the northwest are characterized by good winter hardiness, but small fruit size. The amount of harvest depends on high-quality and timely care.

• Violet. The shrub is medium in size and quite compact. Matte blue fruits with a blue tint. The shape of the berries is oval, slightly oblong and pointed. The size is a little more than 1 g. The taste is sweet and sour, fruiting begins in mid-summer. From one bush you can get a harvest of up to 2 kg. Planting should be carried out in September-October, so the honeysuckle will better take root on the site.
• Volkhova. The variety began its existence at Pavlovskaya station. This is a dense honeysuckle with powerful branches. The berries are matte, blue with a blue tint, oblong in shape. The average weight of the berry is 1g. the fruits have a pronounced aroma and a sweet-sour taste, reminiscent of strawberries. An early ripening variety, the berries will ripen in early summer. The yield of one bush is from 2.5 kg. The variety loves the sun and additional fertilizers.
• Malvina. A large-fruited variety with an oval crown and berries of about 3 cm. The fruits are oblong, pear-shaped, with an uneven surface and dense skin. Moderate aroma. The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour. One bush gives 3 kg of harvest. Productivity depends on thinning the bushes. Every 8 years it is necessary to remove old branches.
• Amphora. Medium height bush. The berries are blue-blue, in the shape of a jug, which is why the variety got its name. The weight of the berry is slightly more than 1 g. It has a sweet and sour taste without a pronounced aroma. About 3 kg of berries are harvested from one bush. They hang until harvest and do not fall off. Has good disease resistance.
• Swan. Tall shrub with powerful branches. The berries have an oblong shape with a pointed base and characteristic tuberosity. The weight of the berries is about 1 g. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour. They have a hard shell and hang well on the bushes until harvest. About 2 kg of berries are harvested from one bush. The variety requires additional treatment against pests.
• Viola. Mid-season variety. The fruits are about 3 cm, weigh 1 g. The berry is elongated with a pointed base. The surface is slightly bumpy, the skin is dense. The taste of the berry is tart, but not intrusive. Harvest from one bush to 2 kg. Ripe berries crumble a little.
• Nymph. Lush spreading bush. The berries are blue, matte, with a bumpy surface. The fruits weigh a little more than 1 g, have a sweet taste and pronounced aroma. The harvest of one bush is up to 2 kg.
• Dessert. Dense shrub with small oval berries up to 1 g. The fruits have a sweet-sour taste and pronounced aroma. One bush gives a good harvest of up to 3 kg.
• Avacha. The bush is medium in size, has a beautiful shape with even branches, spreading. The berries are large, about 3 g, oval-shaped, blue-blue in color. The variety has good yield. Frost-resistant, loves moisture.

Honeysuckle - the best varieties for the south

The best honeysuckle varieties for the south have good resistance to the hot, arid region. Weather conditions in the southern region are not entirely suitable for the growth of honeysuckle. It grows very slowly and reluctantly, since it is not genetically adapted to such a climate. However, there are several varieties for growing this shrub in the south.

• Kuminovka. Dessert variety for Moscow and southern regions. The bush has an oval shape, about 2 m high. The fruits are large, starting from 2 cm, with an elongated shape and a characteristic bumpy surface. The berries are sweet and sour, without bitterness, with a thick skin. From one bush you can get a harvest of up to 2 kg.
• Morena. An oval bush with large aromatic fruits up to 3 cm. The berries have a sweet and sour taste without bitterness. In southern latitudes they ripen earlier than expected under the influence of a warmer climate, but the berries remain on the branches for a long time.
• Moskovskaya 23. The shrub is about 2.5 meters long and produces large, up to 2 cm, elongated fruits. The taste is sweet and sour, tart. Very good yield - up to 4 kg can be harvested from one bush. Average crumbling.
• Pavlovskaya. Wide bush about 1.5 meters tall. The fruits are up to 2 cm, oval in shape and pointed at the top. The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour. They hang on the branches for a long time without falling off. They have good transportability.
• Nipple. Dessert variety. On a tall bush, about 2 meters, large berries up to 3 cm in cylindrical shape ripen. The fruits are lumpy, with a tough skin. The taste is sweet and sour, without bitterness.

Despite attempts to adapt honeysuckle to the southern regions, it grows very poorly. The main places for growth are the Urals and Siberia.

Honeysuckle - the best varieties for Siberia

The best honeysuckle varieties for Siberia can withstand severe frosts down to -50°C. Many Siberian varieties are distinguished by a high content of anthocyanin and catechin in fruits, which are beneficial for human health.

• Bakcharskaya. A tall shrub up to 1.6 meters with a rounded crown. The berries are about 3 cm, sweet and sour taste, without bitterness. The yield from one bush is up to 2 kg, almost does not fall off the branches.
• Bakcharsky giant. Large-fruited variety. The bush reaches up to 2 meters, with an oval crown. The berries are about 4 cm long and cylindrical in shape. The taste is sweet and sour.
• Berel. The bush is up to 1.6 m, has a rounded crown. Fruits are from 2 cm, pear-shaped and oval. The taste is sweet and sour, tart. From one bush you can get up to 3 kg of berries. The fruits almost never fall off the branches.
• Vasyuganskaya. Bush up to 2 m with a rounded crown. The fruits are shaped like a pitcher, flat at the base. The length of the berries is 2 cm. The taste is sweet and sour, without bitterness. Productivity from one bush is up to 2.5 kg.
• Cinderella. The bush has a rounded crown, 1.6 m high. The fruits are oval, about 2 cm with thin skin and a smooth surface. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour with notes of strawberries. From one bush you can collect up to 3 kg of berries. The fruits hardly fall off.
• Fire opal. The bush has about 2 meters in height due to its dense crown. The berries are smooth, with a thick skin, up to 1 g. The taste of the berries is sour and bitter due to the content of vitamin P. Up to 4 kg of berries are obtained from one bush. They hang well and do not fall off.
• Siberian. Medium-sized bush with a rounded crown. Berries up to 2.6 cm, elongated with a pointed tip. The skin is thin and lumpy. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour, they hardly crumble. Up to 2.5 kg is collected from one bush.

Garden honeysuckle - the best varieties for the Urals

The best varieties of garden honeysuckle for the Urals have tasty, juicy fruits, usually without bitterness. Basically, these varieties are not characterized by high yields, but they bear fruit regularly and are quite compact.

• Bazhovskaya. Shrub of medium height, shoots strongly drooping. The fruits are slightly more than 1 cm, barrel-shaped with a bumpy surface. The taste is sweet and sour, refreshing. The yield is small, starting from 0.5 kg per bush, but the berries stick well to the branches.
• Sorceress. The shrub is slightly more than 1 m, with fruits up to 2 cm. The berries have the shape of a water lily, a bumpy surface and thin skin. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour, refreshing. The yield from one bush is 0.5 kg. The berries fall off a little.
• Sineglazka. Low spreading shrub about 1 meter. The fruits are small, within 1 g, oval in shape with dense skin. The taste is sweet and sour. About 0.5 kg is collected from one bush. It crumbles a lot.
• Persistent. A tall bush with fruits up to 1 g. The berries are oval in shape. The taste is sweet and sour, without bitterness. From one bush you can collect up to 0.6 kg. It crumbles a lot.
• Blueberry. The name is due to the external similarity of the berries to blueberries. The berries are about 2 cm in length, oval in shape with a saucer. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour. Up to 1 kg of berries are harvested from one bush. The berries do not crumble much.

One of the main problems of sweet varieties of honeysuckle is rapid shedding of fruits. This is especially noticeable in the Ural varieties. However, breeding work is constantly being carried out aimed at improving the quality of this healthy and tasty berry.