Honeyberry 'Giant's Heart' (Lonicera caerulea)

Experience the exceptional productivity powerhouse with heart-shaped berries and extraordinary yields that deliver up to 4kg of premium fruit per bush with outstanding commercial-grade performance

Overview

Discover the ultimate high-yielding fruit solution with Honeyberry 'Giant's Heart', the exceptional Blue Treasure family cultivar that combines spectacularly large heart-shaped berries with extraordinary productivity potential. This remarkable variety provides up to an eight pound yield after reaching full maturity, making it perfect for both commercial production and ambitious home gardeners seeking maximum harvest returns. Really suitable for commercial growth, it has a vigorous and upright growth habit that forms into a dense dome shaped crown, whilst delivering sweet, firm berries that are exceptionally rewarding to pick. Developed from Japanese breeding lines, this honeyberry represents the pinnacle of productive fruit growing, combining outstanding berry size, exceptional flavour quality, and remarkable yield potential that transforms any garden into a highly productive and profitable edible landscape.

Key Features

• Plant Type: Premium high-yielding berry shrub
• Planting Season: March to May and September to November
• Mature Height: 1.5m
• Spread: 2m
• Fruiting Period: Early to mid-July (late season)
• Berry Characteristics: Large, heart-shaped, sweet and firm blue berries
• Flavour Profile: Sweet with initial Japanese honeyberry notes followed by Santa Rosa plum undertones
• Productive Lifespan: 30+ years with proper care
• Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -20 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H7)

Exceptional Yield Excellence

When it reaches 5 years of growth, it can produce 8 to 10 pounds of fruit per plant, making this one of the highest-yielding honeyberry varieties available. A vigorous, well branched cultivar capable of producing up to 4kg of berries per bush, this variety delivers exceptional harvest returns that make it ideal for both commercial operations and productive home gardens seeking maximum fruit output.

Outstanding Berry Characteristics

Its fruits are 2.5 to 3 cm long and have an oval heart shape, creating distinctive and attractive berries that are both beautiful and delicious. The fruit is sweet, firm, rewarding to pick, with large elliptical shaped berries that combine excellent flavour with superior handling qualities perfect for fresh eating, processing, and storage.

Late-Season Harvest Advantage

A newish selection Giant's Heart Honeyberry is very late ripening and maximises the early summer sun for maximum sweetness. A moderately late variety ripening early-mid July, providing valuable harvest extension when most other soft fruits have finished for the season, ensuring continuous fresh fruit availability throughout the summer months.

Commercial-Grade Performance

The Giants Heart Haskap is suitable for commercial growth as it is high yielding with sweet berries, cold-hardy and a vigorous grower. It is a mid-season variety that lends itself well to mechanical harvesting, making it perfect for larger-scale operations whilst maintaining exceptional quality for premium markets.

Superior Growth Characteristics

It has a vigorous and upright growth habit that forms into a dense dome shaped crown, creating naturally productive garden shrubs that provide excellent structural integrity for heavy fruit loads. This excellent growth pattern requires minimal training whilst providing maximum ornamental and productive impact with strong, well-branched architecture.

Outstanding Hardiness Properties

Very hardy and drought resistant, this variety is exceptionally easy to grow with the added benefit of being virtually pest and disease free. Unlike blueberries, they don't require specific soil conditions, making them adaptable to various growing situations whilst maintaining consistent productivity.

Versatile Culinary Applications

Perfect for fresh eating, freezing, and wine making. The large fruits are sweet and juicy making them ideal for eating fresh, freezing and also for wine use. The fruit is very high in antioxidants, loaded with flavour, and retains both flavour and form when frozen, making it ideal for year-round enjoyment.

Ideal Growing Position

Plant in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil with consistent moisture retention. Adaptable to various soil types and conditions, this variety thrives with minimal intervention once established. Benefits from regular watering during the growing season, particularly during fruit development.

Container Growing Potential

Suitable for container cultivation on patios, terraces, or in small gardens where space is limited. The vigorous growth habit and exceptional productivity make it suitable for larger containers, allowing substantial berry harvests from limited space with proper care and feeding.

Cross-Pollination Requirements

Pollination partner of Strawberry Sensation required. Cross-pollination: Strawberry Sensation, Blue Cloud, Honey Smoke, Honey Crop, Fuji Blue, Blue Delight, Bunny Blue, providing excellent flexibility in companion planting choices for maximum fruit production.

Multiple Landscape Applications

Perfect for commercial orchards seeking maximum productivity, kitchen gardens requiring substantial fruit harvests, and productive landscapes where high yields are essential. Equally effective as specimen planting in larger gardens or integrated into permaculture and food forest design schemes.

Seasonal Interest Calendar

• Spring: Small white flowers provide valuable early-season nectar for pollinators
• Mid-Summer: Spectacular berry harvest with exceptionally large, heart-shaped fruit
• Late Summer: Extended fruiting period with attractive dense foliage
• Autumn: Beautiful autumn foliage colour providing extended seasonal interest
• Winter: Elegant dome-shaped crown structure showcasing exceptional cold hardiness

Nutritional Excellence

High in antioxidants and loaded with flavour, these berries provide exceptional nutritional value. Similar in colour and taste to blueberries with a slight aftertaste of honey, they offer superior health benefits whilst delivering outstanding culinary versatility.

Growing Success Tips

Success with 'Giant's Heart' centres on providing adequate space for its vigorous growth and ensuring cross-pollination with compatible varieties such as Strawberry Sensation. Choose a sunny position with good air circulation, mulch annually to retain moisture, and take advantage of its exceptional hardiness and disease resistance. Allow sufficient space for the mature size to accommodate the heavy fruit loads, and your Honeyberry 'Giant's Heart' will prove that exceptional productivity and outstanding flavour can be combined in one remarkable variety, delivering commercial-grade harvest excellence and premium fruit quality that transforms any garden into a highly productive and profitable edible landscape investment.