Edible honeysuckle is not only a useful plant that can give a rich harvest of delicious berries, but also a bright decoration of the spring garden. Gardeners take care of plants with pleasure, and during the season they delight households and guests with delicious products. They contain a huge amount of essential trace elements that can cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, as well as improve the functioning of many internal organs and blood vessels.

Today there are more than 200 species, which are represented by climbing, erect and creeping plants. Care for honeysuckle is exactly the same as for many garden crops. It grows and strengthens rapidly, is able to live and bear fruit up to 80 years. Berries have several tastes: sweet and sour, with a slight bitterness and sweet.

Top best varieties of honeysuckle for the Moscow region

Leningrad giant

Leningrad giant honeysuckle

The Leningrad giant has a very sweet taste that other varieties do not have. The weight of one fruit can reach 4 grams, which is a significant advantage for most gardeners. In addition, shoots and roots can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. Due to this, the Giant is popular in the Moscow region.

Diseases and pests of honeysuckle are not terrible — it perfectly resists them. The shape of the berries is bell-shaped, slightly elongated and at the same time “pot-bellied”. They remain in place even after maturation. The yield is from 3 to 5 kilograms per season from one bush. Customer reviews give every right to call the variety one of the best. Juicy and fragrant pulp will appeal to almost everyone — even birds. Therefore, honeysuckle can be slightly spoiled by them.

Altair

Altair honeysuckle

This early ripe variety has already become a favorite among many gardeners due to its resistance to cold, common diseases and pests. Delicious and sweet berries (blue-blue with a wax coating) ripen on a bush with a dense and squat crown in mid-June and do not crumble for a long time. Therefore, Altair is great for people who come to the country no more than once a month. After all, even fully ripe berries remain on the plant until you collect them.

Bakchar giant

Bakchar giant honeysuckle

This large-fruited variety of medium ripening is suitable for those who have enough free space on the plot. After all, the powerful bushes of the Bakcharsky giant reach a height of almost 2 m, and a width of 1.3 m. The crown is oval, sprawling, loose. Thanks to the sparse crown from the bush, it is convenient to collect fruits.

The leaves are gray-green, matte. The berries are large (up to 5 cm long), elongated oval, slightly asymmetrical, dark blue with a wax coating. Fruits can be consumed fresh, frozen, and also prepared from them wines, juices, jellies, compotes, jams.

The plant is winter-hardy, resistant to diseases and pests.

Titmouse

Titmouse honeysuckle

The plant is vigorous, reaches 2 meters in height. Bisexual flowers are small, they appear in the spring. Large fruits of 4 centimeters have an elongated cylindrical shape. On their dark blue surface, slight bumps and a noticeable coating can be found.

The pulp of Titmouse is quite juicy, has a pleasant aroma and a sweetish taste. The variety is often used in cooking. Various pies, compotes and jams from it are excellent. Growing a plant is not difficult, standard care will allow you to get a generous harvest. From an adult bush in this case, you can collect up to 7 kilograms of honeysuckle per season. Titmouse quite suits beginners in gardening. It is not capricious and resistant to low temperatures. The thin peel of the berries does not allow them to keep their presentation for a long time, so they are not transportable.

Vitamin

Vitamin honeysuckle

The bush grows up to 1.5 m in height and 1.8 m in width, forming a hemispherical shape. The yield is high. Berries ripen at the end of May. Their weight is 1.8 g. The taste is fragrant, with a predominance of sourness. Shedding is low, separability from the stalk is good. Blooms profusely with a bright smell. The leaves are elongated, dark green. The berries are cylindrical with a rounded base. The variety is hardy in any vagaries of the weather.

Vital activity and productivity are preserved with temperature fluctuations, after severe winters, hot dry summers. The bush bears fruit steadily for 25 years. Gardeners noted that up to 4 kg of berries are harvested from one plant. They are dense, the skin is thin, but strong. The fruit, although it gives a tart taste, is very useful and suitable for all types of processing, including freezing, cooking jams, compotes. During flowering and during the harvest period, it is a beautiful part of landscape design.

long-fruited

long-fruited honeysuckle

Early large berries will please the household with an unusual taste. Long-fruited honeysuckle was obtained by crossing the sweet-fruited Kamchatka form with Altai pollinators. The plant is classified as medium-sized, it grows sprawling and pretty in appearance. It begins to bloom in the first half of May, and the fruits ripen by June. The shape is elongated, with a slightly pointed tip. The color is dark purple. They are distinguished by their largest size with proper care — they reach 2.7 centimeters in length, and the weight can be about 2 grams.

Juicy pulp has a slightly tart taste. Berries make excellent jams and preserves. Even after processing, they will have a beneficial effect on the human body. Tasters rate the taste as excellent. In the climatic conditions of the Moscow region, the yield will be up to 2 kilograms per bush per season. Ripe fruits do not crumble to the ground, which is a huge plus. The compactness of shrubs is also attributed to the advantages — they will need a little space. If the plant lacks moisture, it may acquire a bitter taste.

blue spindle

blue spindle honeysuckle

This early ripe honeysuckle is characterized by high yields, good resistance to frost and drought, as well as to diseases and pests.

The crown of the bush is quite rare, the shoots are thin, straight, greenish in color. The leaves are oval, elongated, dark green. The berries are large (about 2.7 cm long), shaped like an elongated spindle. The skin is blue, with a waxy coating. The pulp is sour-sweet, but during a drought it can be bitter. Therefore, when growing this honeysuckle, you need to follow the irrigation regime.

The disadvantage of this variety is that ripe berries crumble quickly.

Kingfisher

Kingfisher honeysuckle

Dark blue berries are elongated or pear-shaped with a rounded top. Their purpose is dessert. The fruits are well refreshing, do not give bitterness, soft, with a thin skin. The bush is growing rapidly. It can reach 2 meters in height. The branches are straight, the leaves are medium-sized light green. Ripening is medium late. Productivity — 2.2 kg per plant. The variety is resistant to shedding. Winter hardiness is high, so the bush remains viable even after severe frosts with abnormally low temperatures (up to -45 °). It also tolerates heat and drought well.

Gardeners prefer this variety, as it meets all the necessary requirements for planting in the Moscow region. With careful care, the bush gives a good harvest. Ripening occurs on the fifteenth of June. They are used fresh and frozen. «Kingfisher» in addition to a practical function, it also performs a decorative one, being a decoration of the garden. It is used as a zoning or used as a hedge.

Yugan

Yugan honeysuckle

The bush is low — 150 centimeters. Berries on it ripen in June. They have a dark blue color with a characteristic coating on the surface. Taste qualities are at a high level. Tasters give them a score of 4.9 points due to pleasant sweetness combined with a sour taste. Nutritious honeysuckle will appeal to those with a sweet tooth.

The yield of Yugana is very generous — from 3.5 to 6 kilograms per adult bush per season. The fruits hold well on the branches — after ripening, they can be harvested after more than a month. Due to the dense skin of the berries, they are perfectly transportable, they will retain their attractive appearance during long-term storage. In addition, they are often frozen — the product practically does not change the taste. Feedback from gardeners is mostly positive. The disadvantages include the self-infertility of the plant. Otherwise, it is ideal for growing even beginners.

Cinderella

Cinderella honeysuckle

The variety is classified as undersized — the maximum length is 70 centimeters. The fruits are quite long — about 2 centimeters. They ripen in June, either in the first decade or in the third — it depends on the growing conditions. In the Moscow region, Cinderella is in high demand.

Due to the unpretentiousness and resistance of the variety, it can be planted in various regions. It adapts well to frosty climates and rarely gets sick in autumn. At first, the shrub will produce up to 1 kilogram of the crop, and after 7 years of honeysuckle, about 5 kilograms can be harvested. With regular watering, Cinderella will bring quality berries without a bitter aftertaste. They can be used for various culinary purposes. Despite numerous advantages, the variety has drawbacks — shedding of ripe berries and their non-simultaneous ripening.