A native of coastal meadows. bluffs, and dunes in the Northwest from Alaska to California, beach strawberry is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherries, lady’s mantle and almond. Other names for the plant include coastal strawberry and sand strawberry. Plants are evergreen herbaceous perennials that gros 6-12″ tall and spread quickly by runners. The shiny dark green trifoliate leaves form rosettes and turn reddish in winter. They are leathery and have 2″ long leaflets with toothed edges . In spring and early summer, 1″ wide flowers appear each with 5 petals and 5 green sepals surrounding a yellow center of 20-30 stamens. Flowers give way to red, edible fruit. Beach strawberry was one of the 2 species used to create the modern garden strawberry and is now valued as a ground cover and for stabilizing soil. The genus name, Fragaria, comes from the Latin word fraga, meaning strawberry, and is related to the Latin word fragrans, meaning sweet smelling and refers to the scent of the fruit. The specific epithet, chiloensis, is the Latinized form of the name of the county, Chili, and refers to the native habitat of the plant there.
Type: Evergreen herbaceous perennial
Bloom: White 1″ wide flowers with yellow centers in spring and early summer
Size: 6-12″ H x 24-30″ W
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained; some drought tolerance
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Care: Mow or trim hard in early spring
Pests and Diseases: Powdery mildew, wilt, leaf spot, anthracnose, spider mites, strawberry leaf roller, earwigs, aphids, slugs, wasps
Propagation: Division
Companion Plants: Fleabane, camellia, marigold
Karen Meyers