Wojtek

created by Möwe at 09.02.2025

Features

Color

blue-black

Taste

fruity

aromatic

Fruit shape

elongated

Growth habit

growth habit: bushy

growth habit: upright

Location

planting: bed

planting: outdoor

Season Overview

Sowing

Harvest

Description

The honeyberry, actually Kamchatka honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica) or May berry, Siberian blueberry, Haskap berry or Gimolost is a wild fruit of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). It is found in Siberia, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands and is related to the native red honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum). The Kamchatka honeysuckle grows as an upright, densely branched, deciduous shrub and reaches heights of 1 to 2.5 meters. In width, it can take up to 1.2 meters. The plant is a shallow-rooting plant. The creamy white flowers open as early as March. The first fruits are often ripe by the end of April and May at the latest. The wild fruit has juicy, sweet, oval to cylindrical, narrow, smooth fruits with a fruity, aromatic flavor. They are light to black-blue and are 1 to 3 centimetres long. The fruit juice is deep purple. The fruits taste similarly sweet, but slightly less aromatic than blueberries. They can be eaten fresh or processed into jam, compote, puree and juice. The "Wojtek" honeyberry has large, above-average juicy and very aromatic fruits with low acidity. The variety grows quite compactly, densely branched and slowly, reaching a height of 120-150 cm. Due to its growth characteristics, this variety is also suitable for planters.

Non hybrid

Frostproof

Growing tips

The best time to plant is in the fall, as the plants are already well rooted by spring. Honeyberry is not self-pollinating, so at least two varieties must always be planted. Kamchatka honeysuckle is very frost-hardy. It thrives in sunny to semi-shady locations, preferring light shade. The plant thrives in almost any soil. It tolerates fresh to moist, acidic to neutral, sandy-humus, gravelly or rocky, shallow soils. The honeyberry is grateful for a compost application before budding and fertilization with nettle manure in April-May. The plant should be watered during dry periods, otherwise no watering is required. Honeyberries are pruned in a similar way to currants. Once a year, preferably immediately after the harvest, old, senescent shoots are removed close to the ground. No more than 3 ground shoots should be left standing after radical pruning. It is advisable to protect the shrub from bird damage with a protective net. 'Wojtek' is a very hardy Polish variety. It prefers moist, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil and tolerates a relatively shady location. Peat or rhododendron soil should be worked in when planting.