I have to say, my wife also liked them, and she usually doesn’t go in for all the funky-flavored stuff my daughter and I enjoy. I think if you stick with the most recommended varieties for fresh eating (Aurora, Indigo Treat, Beauty, Blizzard) and making sure you let them ripen fully, you won’t be disappointed.
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my wife loves them also and shes very fussy with fruit. i havent met anyone that has tried them that didnt like them.
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mine went thru 2 summers of drought without losing a bush and i even planted 4 the last couple springs and they were fine with a little occasional watering. mulching around them protects the roots in a hot summer. i like 4in of woodchips.
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I definitely could have done better at mulching. We had no rain from June to August and also had watering restrictions so it didn’t get the love it needed.
Next year I will try again.
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I find that these plants hide their fruit, they (the bushes) seem to always look awful late in the season and that pollenation is very inconsistent. I have 7 of them and only 2 of them really bore any fruit this year.
Looking for a good alternative to blueberries? (because you don’t want to deal with the soil pH issues or any other reason) Personally I don’t get many blueberries because my dog likes them and eats them green.
Try serviceberries instead. They are far easier to grow, are bigger plants (more fruit) and I prefer them as their seeds are more edible.
Scott
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Lack of money, and lack of patience, would be reasons not to try honeyberries.
Taste? I can think of lots of worse tasting things people grow!
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blueberries grow great here and i have 6 highbush. like them fresh but for freezing and processing honeyberries rule. i may even incorporate the 2 together in a pie to see if the honeyberries add their magic there. both grow equally well here with no spray or netting.
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Steve I too like them for various reasons. I have 10 different blueberry cultivars. In raised beds so I can control pH. I have two serviceberries and 10 honeyberries too. Yes blueberries are fantastic. They grow very well here. I like having them all. I’m probably losing my second garden and I will leave some plants behind. One has to find what works for them. To original poster good luck with whatever you decide.
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Seconding the serviceberries as a blueberry alternative suggestion. They are much closer to the taste of blueberry than honeyberries are in my opinion.
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I see it differently. Blueberries are interesting to grow, but I get all I want from a couple dozen containerized plants sitting in shade.
I’ve never had all I want of serviceberries. Birds eating them and cedar apple rust ruining them, just never get more than a handfull. (Closest I ever came to getting enough was when I was a garden center manager for a spell 20-something years ago…I foraged on fruit of trees we had for sale. 
).
Honeyberries…the jury is out. But I like them.
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Every year it seems I spend close to 100 dollars on new plants. First it was currants, and elderberry. Now blueberry and honeyberry. The goal is to grow every variety of plant that can grow in my zone. Keeps me busy and it’s been a good test to see what actually makes it in my zone since it seems half of the listings are off. I figure in the next 10 years I should have all the honeyberry and blueberry that grow here. From there I will select ones we like and only grow those. It’s fun to be able to share with family friends. Especially those that have never heard of these and only buy fruit from the store.
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If you have begun noticing empty shelves at Walmart or Kroger…that’s another reason to be growing something you can eat!
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Not just those stores. I was just at a restaurant supply store (have to own a business to buy there) a few weeks ago. I spoke to one of the managers (the meat dept.) about a product that I was looking for and he informed not only was inventory not being shipped at full capacity, but that a lot of companies have had to pare back their offerings. He gave me two examples of the many. Typically they have 18 varieties of a particular brand of deli meat, well the company is now only producing 3 varieties. He also said that Progressive has pared their soup offerings way down. It was all due to C19… worker shortage and supply issues. Then on Thursday I was at a different restaurant supply store, this one is open to the public, and I noticed that not only were some of the prices a lot higher, I’m talking a 2-3 dollar increase for things that I typically buy, but their inventory was low too.
Anyway, I don’t want to hijack the thread, so I’ll bring it back to honeyberries. If you have the space and the ability to purchase them, @izzy4reel I really don’t see what you have to lose besides time. They don’t really start producing for about 3 years, so I would suggest that you plant a few. Aurora and Tundra are the two that I have the most of and they taste great to me.
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ive noticed that even at shop n’ save here also. prices of food going thru the roof! i do the shopping and cooking and most things have gone up 30-40% since covid. we already pay a premium here being in the sticks. the rise in food prices really hits hard in this relatively poor area. its the older folks on fixed income that suffer the most. please donate to food charities. they fill the gap when these folks are in need. sorry if off topic but i thought this needed to be said.
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All opinions count.
That’s
what I solicited.
Thanks.
I’ve added 3 varieties this year and plan to add more, so I think they have a good future.
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