Fragaria Virginiana (Wild Strawberry)

A truly universal plant! For those that want tasty edible treats, the sweet fruit of this flowing plant is delightful. For those that want a fast-spreading ground cover, this plant will also win you over with its durability.

Wild Strawberry or Virnigia Strawberry are ground-hugging perennial groundcovers native to the Rocky Mountains and the East Coast. They spread via stolons/runners and are happiest in dry soil with part-shade or full-sun exposure and do well in zones 3-8. These 4-7″ plants are also deer and drought tolerant.

Although smaller in size than commercial strawberries, only 1/2″, Fragaria Virginia are the original strawberry which cultivators modified for commercial use. However, what they lack in size they make up in prolific growth. Wild strawberries are most active in spring and fall when temperatures are mild. They may even go partly dormant in the heat of the summer. After fruiting, they produce up to 2ft long runners which grow a new set of roots as the runner hits the ground allowing for new strawberry plants to take shape. Due to these runners, this variety of the strawberry quickly spreads to form patches or clusters in meadows, forests, fields. In fact, if you are a hiker in the Rockies, you’ve likely seen these growing just off the trail. (Maybe that is why so many also call these the Mountain Strawberry)

Whether you are looking for a fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked in pies, or if you are looking for a ground cover, you can’t go wrong with the Wild Strawberry.

Fun Facts: Wild Strawberries are actually part of the rose family. To learn more about how strawberries got their name, check this article by R. Kelly Coffey.