Alpine strawberry

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; provide afternoon shade in hot climates. Deep shade reduces fruiting.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist, especially during flowering and fruiting, but avoid waterlogged soil.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Improve heavy soil with compost and grow in raised beds or containers if drainage remains poor.

Height

0.3-0.7 ft (0.1-0.2 m)

Spread

0.7-1 ft (0.2-0.3 m) per clump; runner-producing forms can spread much farther

Flowers

Small white flowers with yellow centres from spring into summer, often continuing into autumn in repeat-fruiting selections

Foliage

Green leaves divided into three toothed leaflets; usually deciduous in cold winters and semi-evergreen in mild climates

Growth

Moderate; runner-producing forms cover ground more quickly

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US, Canada and the UK

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown at soil level, spacing clumps about 1 ft (0.3 m) apart.
• Water at soil level whenever the surface begins to dry; containers need more frequent checks.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leaves rather than fruit.
• Mulch with clean straw to conserve moisture and keep berries off wet soil; leave crowns uncovered.
• Remove unwanted runners and divide crowded clumps in spring or early autumn.

Pruning. In early spring, snip off dead or diseased leaves without cutting into the crown. Remove unwanted runners as they appear; do not mow or shear alpine strawberries after harvest.

Pick berries from late spring or early summer into autumn, depending on climate and selection, when they are fully coloured, fragrant and release easily; ripe yellow- or white-fruited selections soften and become aromatic rather than turning red. Pinch through the stalk rather than pulling the fruit, and eat promptly because the berries bruise and spoil quickly.

Late winter

Sow seed indoors on the surface of moist seed compost in bright light; follow any chilling instructions supplied with the seed.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, keeping crowns at soil level, and remove dead winter foliage.

Late spring

Mulch around plants with clean straw before developing berries touch the soil.

Summer

Water consistently, pick ripe berries frequently and remove unwanted runners.

Early autumn

Divide crowded plants while the soil is still warm, allowing time for roots to establish before hard frost.

Winter

Keep containers draining freely; in severe climates, shelter pots from repeated freezing and thawing.

• Edge vegetable beds or potager paths with compact, edible clumps.
• Plant beneath open-canopied shrubs alongside primroses and small ferns for a woodland effect.
• Grow in patio pots or window boxes where ripe fruit is easy to reach.
• Use runner-producing forms as informal groundcover between widely spaced fruit bushes, keeping their crowns clear.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Potager (kitchen garden), Woodland, Edible landscape, Sensory garden and Small-space.

Plant it with: Chives, Lettuce, Thyme, Primroses, Violets and Soft shield fern.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for small bees and other insects. Birds and small mammals eat the berries and can carry the seeds elsewhere.

• Slugs and snails eat ripe berries: remove hiding places, pick promptly and use wildlife-conscious slug controls where necessary.
• Birds take ripening fruit: cover plants with securely supported, taut wildlife-safe mesh and check it regularly.
• Grey mould rots flowers and berries in damp weather: space plants for airflow, water at soil level and remove affected fruit promptly.
• Crown or root rot causes wilting and plant loss in wet soil: improve drainage, keep crowns above buried mulch and replace affected plants in fresh soil.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The ripe fruit is edible; strawberry allergy can occur in people, and large amounts may upset a pet's stomach.

• Mock strawberry (Potentilla indica)

  Has yellow flowers rather than white ones, and round, upright red fruit with little strawberry fragrance or flavour.

• Garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)

  Usually has larger, coarser leaves and much larger berries; most plants are more vigorous and produce substantial runners.

• Barren strawberry (Potentilla sterilis)

  Has white flowers with separated petals and grey-green, hairy leaves, but does not develop fleshy strawberry fruit.

Fragaria comes from a Latin root referring to fragrance, while vesca means edible.

Propagation. Sow seed in late winter or spring, or divide established clumps in spring or early autumn. Root runners where produced; many alpine selections make few or none. Seedlings may differ from the parent, especially when several selections grow together.

Accepted botanical name

Fragaria vesca

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states. Introduced in Hawaii.

Native range

Albania, Alberta, Altay, Arizona, Austria, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Bulgaria and Buryatiya.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 9 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.