Native Plant of the Week: Wild Strawberry

Family: Rosaceae

Name: Fragaria virginiana - Wild Strawberry

Bloom Time: May

Flower: White

Soil Condition: Dry, Moist

Light: Sun, Partial Sun

Height: 4-6" tall by 24" wide

Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island

Zone: 5 to 9

picturess: flowers (Missouri Department of Conservation),

berries - cultivar Fragaria virginiana 'Port Huron' (KMS Native Plants)

Fragaria virginiana is a great edible, naturalizing ground cover that spreads quickly by runners (stolons). The sweet red berries ripen in June. If you're lucky you will get some before the birds and small critters do. Wild Strawberry also works great in a planter or hanging basket.

Maintenance: no maintenance is necessary but they will benefit from small amount of organic fertilizer or compost in fall or early spring.

Benefits: Host plant to the Gray Hairstreak, edible, flowers attract a variety of native pollinators, birds and small critters eat the berries

Companion Plants: Oak species (Oak), Rubus occidentalis (Black Raspberry), Aquilegia canadensis (Wild Columbine), Monarda bradburiana (Eastern Monarda), Carex pensylvanica (Oak Sedge)

Cultivars: Fragaria virginiana 'Port Huron' (larger foliage and fruit), Fragaria virginiana 'Intensity' (larger fruit), Fragaria virginiana 'Christina' (white-fruited variety)

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References:

1. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=frvi

2. https://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Fragaria-virginiana