Wild strawberry, Virginia strawberry

Fragaria virginiana Duchesne

Family: Rosaceae (rose)

Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org

Wild strawberry

Bloom Period:
- Early,
Growth Cycle:
- Perennial,
Growth Habit:
- Forbs/Herbs,
Insect Type Attracted:
- Natural Enemy,
- Pollinator,
Light:
- Full,
- Partial,
Region:
- Southern Lower Peninsula
Soil Moisture:
- Medium,
Height:
- 0-1ft

Natural enemies attracted

Moderately attractive: Chalcidoidea.

Mildly attractive: Salticidae, Braconidae, Empididae, Ichnuemonidae and Cynipoidea.

Pollinators attracted

Mildly attractive: bees including sweat bees and small carpenter bees

Pests attracted

Moderately attractive: leafhoppers.

Mildly attractive: thrips, froghoppers, weevils, aphids and root-maggot flies.

Plant notes

Small white blossoms open on this low-growing leafy plant. Wild strawberry filled in well in the first year from plug material, as plants spread with runners throughout the growing season. It bloomed in the second half of May. The plant bears small strawberries in June that are edible. Wild strawberry was the seventh most attractive early season plant to natural enemies, and more attractive than any other plants blooming in May.

Habitat

This plant tolerates full to partial shade, and mid-range soil moisture (neither very wet nor very dry). This species grows well in a variety of soils and light conditions. It is often found in dry, sunny places, and is naturally occurring in woods and clearings, as well as along roadsides and in fields.

Cultivation and management

It flowers from seed in second year or third. It can also be grown from plug material (flowers in first or second year). This plant is an easy to establish groundcover. The fact that it spreads by runners and seed makes it a good candidate for large areas with a great deal of space. Although the plant has potential to move into agricultural fields, it is unlikely to persist in cultivated soil. Wild strawberry will also spread by seed.