Virginia ecotype
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Low, naturalizing, spreadingSize: 3 in. - 6 in. high, wide
Flowering time: Apr, May
Bloom color: Cream white, yellow center
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, dry open woodsMoisture: Dry to moist, well-draining
Light: Full sun, part sun, shadeSoils: Clay, loamy, sandy, gravely
Uses: groundcover, pollinator garden, cottage garden, edible landscaping
Fragaria virginiana (Wild Virginia strawberry)
Wild Virginia strawberry is a versatile creeper, commonly found in woodlands and grasslands, filling ground space in the plant community. Being a low growing member of the rose family, it hosts a large number of native fauna, over a reported 70 species of insects in the central Virginia area, including woolly bear caterpillars.
Fragaria virginiana spreads quickly via lateral stolons to form an evergreen groundcover. Extremely easy to propagate, grows in almost all site conditions and soils, holds onto soil with its deep roots, and won’t outcompete any taller growing plants even a tiny bit. Can also naturalize in lawns.
Small edible fruits appear shortly after flowering, which are reported to be quite sweet and delicious. The fruit are typically eaten by a variety of mammals and birds that also help to distribute the seeds in their droppings. VA wild strawberry is one of the two species of Fragaria hybridized to create the modern domestic strawberry.
Commonly confused with mock strawberry (Potentilla indica), which is an unpalatable non-native originating from Asia. VA wild strawberry has white petals and larger, rounder, bluish-green leaves, while mock strawberry has yellow petals and smaller, darker green leaves. Both are stoloniferous.