Haskap Cultivars
Characteristics of Japanese cultivars when compared to the Russian varieties commonly offered:
- Fruit is markedly larger (average 1.8 grams), more attractive, with fine flavor.
- Fruits of all our cultivars are medium in firmness, and are attached to the peduncle firmly enough to prevent pre-harvest drop, but loose enough to pick without tearing the berry flesh.
- Plants are well adapted to moderate temperate climates as well as colder regions. They will flourish in Zones 2-7.
- Plants are more upright in growth habit than Russian varieties, reaching 5 feet or more in our 5-year-old plants. Older plants may reach 6 or 7 feet in height with a spread of 4 or 5 feet.
- Bloom time and harvest time are later than Russian types. (Harvest here in the Willamette Valley, Oregon is about the same time as early strawberries.)
All cultivars that we offer were developed by Dr. Maxine Thompson, Professor Emeritus from the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. They are patented in the US and in Canada, and licensed to us for sale. Propagation without a license from the plant breeder is prohibited.
Plantings should include more than one variety for pollination. Our cultivars bloom almost simultaneously (mid-April at our location).
Plants are one year old, 18 to 24″ tall and well branched. They are sold bareroot and dormant.
“Keiko”
Oval-shaped berries are tart/sweet, medium sized. Very vigorous growers, upright and spreading. At 10 years the plants can reach 7 feet in height with a spread of 5 ½ feet.
“Taka”
Cylindrical, medium-large berries have a slightly milder flavor than other cultivars, on moderately vigorous plants that have a more spreading shape. A 7-year-old bush is 5 feet tall x 5 feet wide.
“Pirika”
Berries are large and elliptical, some with rolled edges at the tips, giving them a jug-shape. They have good flavor and yield. Bushes are very vigorous, upright-spreading, and somewhat open.
“Chito”
Large, oval berries, milder flavor than other varieties, on very vigorous bushes that are somewhat more open than other cultivars.
“Tana”
Oval, medium-large berries are tart/sweet, on moderately vigorous plants with an upright-spreading shape.
“Willa” 
Large, round, nicely-flavored berries onvigorous, upright plants. Begins its bloom just a few days earlier than most of our cultivars. Tana and Keiko are good companion plants for pollenization.