Strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
A living mulch you can eat.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 0.7 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide
Harvest: May to September
From: Garden hybrid
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Hardy in zones 3 to 10.
The story
A hybrid of Virginia strawberry (native to Ohio) and Chilean strawberry, first crossed in 18th-century France. The seeds are on the outside, about 200 per berry.
Planting
Full sun. Soil: rich, drained (pH 5.5–6.5). Spacing: 12 in. Pollination: self-fertile.
Growing
Water: regular. Winter: Straw mulch after the ground freezes. Spring: Pull mulch back as growth starts. Summer: Renovate June-bearers after harvest. Fall: Thin runners.
Harvest and use
Harvest: June (everbearers into fall). First crop: 1 year.
What to watch for
Slugs, birds, gray mold.
See if Strawberry fits your yard
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More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home