Virginia Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
[frah-GAR-ee-ah ver-jin-ee-AY-nah]

Deciduous Perennial in the Rosaceae Family
 
Buy Virginia Wild Strawberry
Size Notes Price Availability
Tray of 10 4" pots Field $68.20 Likely available
1/24 - 4/4

North America's native wild strawberry -- a low groundcover with small, intensely sweet fruit.

Fragaria virginiana, the Virginia or wild strawberry, is a low, mat-forming native perennial found across much of North America. Trifoliate leaves spread by runners to form a dense groundcover, and white, five-petaled flowers in spring give way to small but intensely sweet, fragrant red fruit. It is one of the two wild American species -- alongside Fragaria chiloensis -- crossed to create the modern garden strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa.

Pros

  • Native groundcover that spreads readily to fill in a bed
  • Small fruit is intensely sweet and fragrant
  • Valuable early-season food source for wildlife
  • Tolerates drier conditions better than garden strawberry

Cons

  • Fruit is too small for a real harvest
  • Spreads by runners and can become a groundcover over time
  • May need division to keep it in bounds
Why Like One of the two wild species crossed to create the modern garden strawberry, Virginia wild strawberry produces small but sweet, fragrant fruit of its own and is a valuable early food source for wildlife.
Highlights
  • A true North American native, not a bred cultivar
  • One of the two wild parent species of the modern garden strawberry
  • An important early food source for birds and other wildlife
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 8 - 12 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Edibles, Fruit edible, Full Sun, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to North America, Naturalizing, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period April To May
Flower Color White
Foliage Color Green
Animals That Use It

Fruit:
 

In The News
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other native groundcovers and woodland-edge perennials, or let it spread beneath native shrubs and small trees in a naturalized planting.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 07/27 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!