Woodland Strawberry
Fragaria vesca
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Mexico, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine, United States
iNaturalist: © lola73 (iNaturalist #20077631)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Genus:
- Fragaria
- Species:
- Fragaria vesca
- USDA Symbol:
- FRVE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 25 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
- Lawn Substitute:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Greater Red Dart (Abagrotis alternata), orange tortrix moth (Argyrotaenia franciscana), Tischeria confusa
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, butterflies
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from stolons and root crowns after fire; colonizes burned areas quickly.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich environments
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–42 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover. Fresh seed germinates more readily than stored seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: For seeds, sow into trays filled with stabilized medium plugs (Q-plugs), seal trays inside plastic bags and refrigerate at 1 to 3 °C for 30 days. For cuttings, strike in flats containing 1:1 or 3:1 Perlite/Vermiculite mix, at a depth of 0.25 inch or 1.5 inches per flat.
Establishment: Different protocols suggest different Perlite/Vermiculite ratios for cuttings, and different depths for striking cuttings. The collection period for stolons with plantlets varies between protocols.
Source: npn.rngr.net