Honeyberry (Haskap) in Zone 5a & 5b
Lonicera caerulea
Yes, honeyberry (haskap) grows in zones 5a and 5b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Apr 26–May 3.
When to plant honeyberry (haskap) in zone 5b
Zones 5a and 5b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Apr 26–May 3 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest in year 3 |
Spacing: about 20 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 3-6 ft.
Before you plant: Honeyberry (haskap) has a winter-hardiness note for zone 5b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 5b
These go outside within two weeks of honeyberry (haskap) in zone 5b, so one planting day can cover them.
- AppleApr 26–May 3
- ApricotApr 26–May 3
- Aronia (Black Chokeberry)Apr 26–May 3
- ElderberryApr 26–May 3
- Goji BerryApr 26–May 3
- LingonberryApr 26–May 3
Honeyberry, also called haskap, is one of the most cold-hardy and shade-tolerant fruiting shrubs available, worth considering for a spot too cold, wet, or shady for most other berries to thrive in.
How honeyberry (haskap) fits zone 5's season
Zone 5b's frost-free window runs about 148 days, from May 10 to October 5. Honeyberry (haskap) takes about 2 growing seasons to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Honeyberry (haskap) is hardy in zones 2-7, so in zone 5b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 4 ft of spread at maturity.
Honeyberry (Haskap) planting windows in every zone
Zone 5b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2b | Buy as a start | May 6–May 13 | First real harvest in year 3 |
| 3a & 3b | Buy as a start | May 16–May 23 | First real harvest in year 3 |
| 4a & 4b | Buy as a start | May 1–May 8 | First real harvest in year 3 |
| 5a & 5b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Apr 26–May 3 | First real harvest in year 3 |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Apr 11–Apr 18 | First real harvest in year 3 |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 27–Apr 3 | First real harvest in year 3 |
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
Good companions
No well-established companions for honeyberry (haskap).
Where to buy honeyberry starts
Honeyberry (haskap) is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing honeyberry (haskap)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
← Back to the full zone 5b calendar · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →
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Growing Honeyberry (Haskap) in USDA zone 5b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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