Wild Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana

Height: 4-7 in
Spread: 1-2 ft
Bloom Time: April-June
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist, Medium, Dry, Very Dry
Life Cycle: Perennial

Wild Strawberry is a low-growing groundcover with five-petaled white flowers that are up to one inch wide. These flowers bloom early in the year and are followed by juicy, red berries that are used by various wildlife, including birds and Eastern Box Turtles. Its leaves are toothed and grow in groups of threes. Wild Strawberries spread by runners to form colonies and can help with erosion and cover areas with bare soil. In habitat corridors, this species should be intermixed with taller species to help provide diversity and layers within the planting. Wild Strawberry naturally occurs in a wide array of environments and can grow in open forests, meadows, and on dry, road banks.

Note: This species is often confused with Indian Strawberry (Potentilla indica), a non-native weed that has naturalized into disturbed areas and lawns. Indian Strawberry has three leaves, yellow flowers, and small red berries. Because it is non-native, it does not provide the same benefits for the environment. Deer Resistant.