Honeyberry (Haskap) in Zone 7a & 7b
Lonicera caerulea
Yes, honeyberry (haskap) grows in zones 7a and 7b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Mar 27–Apr 3.
When to plant honeyberry (haskap) in zone 7b
Zones 7a and 7b 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 | Mar 27–Apr 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 7b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 7b
These go outside within two weeks of honeyberry (haskap) in zone 7b, so one planting day can cover them.
- AppleMar 27–Apr 3
- ApricotMar 27–Apr 3
- Aronia (Black Chokeberry)Mar 27–Apr 3
- ElderberryMar 27–Apr 3
- Goji BerryMar 27–Apr 3
- LingonberryMar 27–Apr 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 7's season
Zone 7b's frost-free window runs about 198 days, from April 10 to October 25. 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 7b 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 7b 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 | 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 (your zone) | 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.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a clear consensus of positive, independent reviews, or ones we bought and use ourselves. Each item on our gear page says which.
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 7b calendar · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →
%20in%20USDA%20zone%207b%3A%20when%20to%20start%20seeds%20indoors%2C%20when%20to%20direct-sow%2C%20and%20when%20to%20expect%20a%20harvest.)
Pin this for later
Growing Honeyberry (Haskap) in USDA zone 7b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
Save to Pinterest