Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is one of the two species that were cultivated to breed the domestic strawberry. Although the wild strawberry is edible, the fruit is much smaller than that of the domestic strawberry. This plant is native to North America.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Fragaria virginiana, known as Virginia strawberry, wild strawberry, common strawberry, or mountain strawberry, is a North American strawberry that grows across much of the United States and southern Canada. It is one of the two species of wild strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern domesticated garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa).
According to Iroquois mythology, the first strawberries grew out of Earth Woman’s heart after she died giving birth to her twin sons, Sapling and Flint.
Fragaria virginiana can grow up to 10 centimetres (4 inches) tall. The plant typically bears numerous trifoliate leaves that are green on top, pale green on the lower surface. Each leaflet is about 10 cm (3 in) long and 4 cm wide. The leaflet is oval shaped and has coarse teeth along the edge except near the bottom. This plant has a five-petaled white flower with numerous pistils, surrounded by yellow-anthered stamens. There are ten small green sepals under the petals.
The seeds of this plant are developed from the pistils in the centre of the flower which will become dark-coloured fruit (achenes) on the strawberry. The fruit of the wild strawberry is smaller than that of the garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Botanically, the fruit is classified as an aggregate accessory fruit, but it is commonly called a berry. Strawberries reproduce both sexually by seed, and asexually by runners (stolons).
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Wild strawberry likes sunlight and needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. You can grow the plants in a sunny place or supplement them with artificial lighting. When there is sufficient light, the plants are strong and the fruit is large and of good quality. Too little sunlight is not conducive to the growth and fruiting of wild strawberry, producing fruit that is pale and less sweet. If the sunlight comes from only one direction, rotate the plant every three to four days to make it grow evenly.
Temperature and Humidity
The best flowering and fruit production occurs when the temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Afternoon shade protects plants from persistent high temperatures and once they’ve entered dormancy mulch adds winter protection, if needed. Wild strawberry is hardy in USDA zones 5a through 9b and can withstand temperatures to -20 degrees F. Thin overcrowded plants for good air circulation to discourage fungal growth during periods of high humidity.
Watering
Wild strawberry has shallow roots that like water but not waterlogging. In spring and summer, water once a week in the morning. It is best not to pour water directly on the leaves or fruit because wet leaves and fruit is very susceptible to disease. Before watering, you can also put your finger into the soil to the second knuckle, and give more water if you feel the soil is dry.
Soil
Wild strawberry prefers to grow in fertile, well-drained loam. It likes weakly acidic to neutral soil with a suitable pH of 5.5-6.5. Wild strawberry does not tolerate waterlogging and requires good soil permeability, so do not plant it in clay. Poorly drained soil may cause root rot, so pay attention to drainage during the rainy season.
Fertilizing
Wild strawberry likes fertile soil, but must avoid excessive fertilization. Otherwise, it is prone to root rot and poor fruit development. In summer, apply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizer that contains roughly equal proportions of the three main elements (10-10-10) every two weeks. Once the fruit is produced, supplement the plant with trace elements. At the beginning of fall, follow up with a compound fertilizer to replenish the nutrients consumed by fruit and lay the foundation for germination next spring.
The soil in potted plants easily dries out. As a result, fertilizer often remains in the pot and gradually accumulates due to the loss of water. Thus, you can usually apply less fertilizer for potted plants than those in open fields.
Planting Instructions
You can grow wild strawberry with seedlings or by sowing seeds. When using seeds for sowing, simply press the seeds into nutrient-rich soil, keep the soil moist, and wait a few weeks for them to germinate. Keep seedling trays/pots indoors in early spring to keep them safe from frost.
After the seedlings sprout, you can transplant them into larger flower pots or gardens, preferably on a cloudy day in early spring to prevent wilting. Be careful to avoid areas where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers have previously been or are being planted. These plants may carry verticillium wilt that can infect wild strawberry.
Remove weeds and add slow-release fertilizer before planting. Dig a hole about the same depth as the root length of the seedling. If planted in a garden, make sure the plants are at least 30 to 45 cm apart. Fill the soil until the roots are not exposed and the stems are not buried. Keep the soil very moist but avoid water accumulation after transplanting until the plant becomes established.
After transplanting, you can also cover the ground with straw, pine needles, or mulch film. This not only suppresses weeds and saves water, but also keeps the fruit away from the ground. Change the ground cover annually to reduce the spread of pests and diseases.
Pruning
A mature wild strawberry plant needs to be left with only 6-8 healthy, vigorous leaves. Remove extra leaves once a month during the growing season. When flowering, you can remove poorly growing flower buds. After the fruit is harvested, the plant enters a vigorous growth period, and new stem branches and adventitious roots grow in large numbers. This tends to make the plant too dense, and competition for light, water, and nutrition is fierce. This eventually reduces the yield. Therefore, it is important to remove excess leaves, stolons, and new stem branches after harvesting.
In addition, seasonal wild strawberry often does not bear fruit in the first year of planting, so all flower buds should be cut off to ensure a healthy root system and good harvest next year.
Propagation
Save pruned runners to grow new wild strawberry plants. A runner is propagated similarly to a cutting and may or may not have roots. Runners should be taken in spring as new growth is developing. To propagate wild strawberry from runners you need a snipper or small hand pruner, clips or anchors, and a pot with potting mix. Alternatively, you can replant the runner in a new spot.
- In early spring look for long thin shoots growing from an established plant. The opposite end may already be rooted in the soil or it may have a developing crown.
- If the new plant has developed roots, use a soil anchor or garden clip to pin the end of the runner to the soil. This allows roots to develop.
- Once roots are growing, use snippers to remove the entire runner from the main plant and snip off the end attached to the new plant.
- Gently dig up the developing plant and place it in a pot with well-draining potting mix at the same level it was growing in the ground.
How to Grow from Seeds
Growing from purchased or saved seed is a fairly simple process. Wild strawberry seeds require two weeks of cold stratification below 40 degrees F. to germinate. Sow outdoors between November and March or place the seeds in some soil in a bag in the refrigerator before planting. You need seeds, a seed tray or pot, and well-draining potting mix,
- Strawberry seeds can be saved by crushing a berry on a paper towel. Allow the berry to dry and remove the seeds.
- Sow seed directly on top of the potting soil. Germination is light-dependent.
- Place the container in a location with lots of sunlight and temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees F.
- Germination occurs as early as two weeks but can take up to a month.
- Grow the plants, thinning if necessary, until they reach about 6 inches tall.
Plant in the garden after the last spring frost. Remember to harden seedlings off before transplanting.
Overwintering
If you live in a zone with extended freezing, protect wild strawberry roots with straw mulch. Move plants grown in pots to a sheltered location or indoors in a garage, outbuilding, or unheated greenhouse.
Pests and Diseases
Wild strawberries are vulnerable to many of the same insect pests that damage cultivars. These include slugs, thrips, borers, caterpillars, and plant bugs. Birds can fly off with your entire crop or peck holes in berries causing them to rot. Organic preventives like diatomaceous earth, biological sprays, and commercial products help deter insect pests. Use bird netting during ripening to prevent access to your strawberries.
Disease resistance is better for wild strawberries but they can develop strawberry leaf spot. Small reddish-purple spots appear on leaves and as sunken dark spots on fruits. Provide good air circulation in the strawberry patch and remove weeds and dead or diseased leaves. In severe cases apply fungicide. When using any treatment on the plants while they are bearing fruit, choose the least toxic method possible.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Wild strawberry is low-growing and suited for planting as groundcover for landscaping. It is also valued for its rapid rate of growth. This plant blooms with attractive white blossoms in the mid-to-late spring season. The berries appear later in the early summer season.
- Culinary uses
The berries are edible. A popular type called “Little Scarlet” is grown in Great Britain, having been imported from the United States in the early 1900s.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Wild strawberry fruit turns green at first, then white, and finally red (white strawberries are white when they are ripe). If it is to be eaten as fruit, pick it when 70% of its surface is red. If it is to be used to make jam or juice, pick it when it is completely red, as this is when the sweetness and aroma of the fruit are higher.
Harvesting should take place on sunny days when the weather is cool, as this is when the fruit is less likely to be bruised and the stems are easily broken. When the temperature rises, the fruit is more susceptible to rotting and bruising. Be careful when touching the fruit to avoid breakage. Remove diseased and inferior fruit when harvesting. Generally, harvesting should happen once every 2-3 days.
Find Where to Buy the Best Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
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