Flora
Honeyberries
Honeyberry Flowers with Bumblebee by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC taken on 5/2/22
I’m sure I could feature a different plant each day of the year and still not cover all of the various ones at the farm and sanctuary. And the same goes for the pollinators and various wildlife. So I’ll share a little about Honeyberries (Lonicera caerulea) today, and hopefully you will enjoy it. :)
The honeyberries, which are a type of honeysuckle with edible berries, are flowering in our food forest area right now.
Honeyberry bushes in the food forest. Photo taken 5/3/22 by Jean.
Honeyberries are native to the cold Boreal forest regions of Northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Though most of us are not familiar with this fruit, it has been cultivated for centuries in Western Europe, Siberia, and Northern Asia. They are hardy down to -55 degrees! The berries have a kind of sweet sour taste, if you can manage to beat the birds to it! To really be able to harvest them, it would be necessary to put nets over the bushes.
Something we have noticed too is that all kinds of pollinators flock to these flowers. Brennah in particular has noticed that they are well loved by bumblebees, mason bees, paper wasps, saw flies and ants.
I can imagine they would also make a beautiful hedge.
Here’s what ours looked like when they were first planted a few years back:
I am always happy to take you on a plant tour when you come out for our monthly walks.
All my best,
Jean
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
