Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica — 15cm / 1.5L
Honeyberry

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica

£15.99
Very hardySun-loving
Pot size
15cm / 1.5L £15.99

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Description

Honeyberry, Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica, is a tough fruit bush that crops before the strawberries. Pale, creamy flowers open in early spring, followed by long, dusky blue berries with a white bloom and a sweet-sharp flavour somewhere between a blueberry and a raspberry.

Hardiness and seasons. This edible honeysuckle comes from north-east Asia and carries the top RHS rating, H7, so it shrugs off winters colder than -20C. The flowers take spring frosts, the berries ripen from late May into June, and the grey-green leaves drop in autumn.

Plant two for fruit. Honeyberries need cross-pollination: a single bush flowers but sets little or no fruit. Plant a second, different honeyberry that flowers at the same time within a few metres. This plant is sold without a variety name, so the surest partner is a named honeyberry variety.

Where it fits. Upright and about 1 to 1.5m tall, it suits a fruit bed, a mixed border or a large patio pot, in sun or light shade. A few berries can appear in the first year or two, with full crops from the third or fourth year. Find more fruiting plants in our exotic edibles.

What you receive: a young plant in a 15cm (1.5L) pot. From autumn to late winter it may arrive leafless and dormant.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Honeyberry

Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Honeyberry

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H7 · Hardy Exotic · below −20°C

Rated H7, the highest RHS hardiness rating: it survives winters colder than -20C and needs no protection. It flowers early, and the flowers tolerate frost. Leaves drop in autumn and the plant is bare through winter. See what to expect through the seasons.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeNorth-facingSouth-facingEast-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

Sun gives the heaviest crops, and it also fruits in light shade. It is hardy enough for an exposed spot facing any direction. Plant it within a few metres of a second, different honeyberry so bees can carry pollen between them. It sits well alongside other fruiting plants or at the back of a kitchen garden.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Unlike blueberries, it does not need acid soil: chalk, clay, loam or sand all suit it, provided the ground does not stay waterlogged. Mulch in spring and keep it watered while the berries swell. In a pot, use a loam-based compost and a container of at least 30 to 40 litres for a mature bush.

Watering

Water regularly in the first year, and in dry spells while fruit is forming. Mulch in spring. Read moreShow less

Water regularly in the first year, and in dry spells while fruit is forming. Mulch in spring.

Mature size

Height1-1.5 m
Spread1-1.5 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Flowering

Mar-Apr · Cream

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Little pruning is needed for the first few years. Once established, prune in late winter: remove dead or crossing stems and cut out about one in five of the oldest stems at the base to keep the bush productive.

Toxicity

The ripe berries are edible. No toxicity is recorded for this plant on the RHS profile.

Native range

North-east Asia, including Kamchatka

Family

Caprifoliaceae

Also known as

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica

Genus

Lonicera
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need two honeyberry plants to get fruit?

Yes. Honeyberries are not self-fertile: one bush on its own flowers but sets little or no fruit. Plant a second, different honeyberry that flowers at the same time, within a few metres. This plant is sold without a variety name, so the safest partner is a named variety.

Can you grow honeyberries in the UK?

Yes, easily. Honeyberry is rated H7 by the RHS, hardy in the coldest UK winters, and grows in most soils, including chalk and clay, in sun or light shade.

What does honeyberry taste like?

Sweet and sharp, often compared to a cross between a blueberry and a raspberry. The long, blue-black berries are good fresh, in desserts and in jam.

How many years before a honeyberry fruits?

A few berries can appear in the first or second year after planting, but expect proper crops from the third or fourth year, once the bush is established and has a pollination partner.

Can you eat honeyberries raw?

Yes. Eat them straight from the bush once fully ripe in late May and June, or use them in jams and puddings. For other unusual fruit, see our exotic edibles, including the pineapple guava.

Is honeyberry easy to grow?

Yes. It needs no acid soil, no winter protection and little pruning. Give it sun, water while the fruit swells, and a second honeyberry nearby for pollination.

Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.

If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.

If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica
£15.99