Strawberries are the first fruit of spring. They can also be one of the last fruits harvested in autumn, and they are a winter crop in many regions.
To get a long harvest of strawberries, choose a combination of early harvest, mid-season harvest, and late-season harvest June-bearing strawberries, and also plant everbearing, and day-neutral varieties.
Strawberry plants are productive for two to three years. Plan to always have first, second, and third-year plants growing in your garden. Replace three-year-old plants with new plants every year. Nearly all garden strawberries produce runners; allow runners to root and then transplant them to spots where third-year plants have just been removed or to a new planting bed. Runner production increases in number from day-neutral (the fewest) to ever-bearing to June-bearing types; alpine strawberries do not send out runners.
Plant labels will describe fruit size, firmness, and flavor intensity. Firmer fruit cultivars are better for freezing and preserving.
The three types of garden strawberries are June-bearing, everbearing, and day-neutral. Alpine strawberries are a form of wild strawberry; while they are delicious, they are very small, and production is limited.
- June bearing: these strawberries ripen a single crop each year, usually in late spring or early summer. These strawberries will set fruit the year after they are planted. Some are harvested early, others later, and other late.
- Ever-bearing: these strawberries bear two crops each year; the first crop comes in summer and is small; the second crop comes in fall and is larger. Ever-bearers produce their first crop the same year they are planted. Sometimes they are grown as annuals and not wintered over for a second or third year. Ever-bearers grow best where late summer weather is cool, not hot.
- Day-neutral: these strawberries bear fruit spring, summer, and fall–throughout the growing season as long as the temperature remains between 35°F and 85° They will even produce fruit in winter if temperatures do not drop below 35°F. Day-neutral strawberries were developed from everbearing strawberries. They will bear fruit about 12 weeks after planting. They can be grown as annuals,
There are dozens and dozens of strawberries to choose from. Check with a nearby garden center or the local Cooperative Extension Service for cultivars that grow well in your region.
Everbearing and Day-Neutral Strawberries
- ‘Albion’: grows well in most regions; day-neutral.
- ‘Aptos’: grows well in California; everbearing.
- ‘Brighton’: grows well in California; everbearing.
- ‘Chandler’: large, juicy, glossy red berries; excellent flavor; good texture; grows well in southern regions; everbearing.
- ‘Fern’: medium to large, bright red berries; firm flesh, sweet flavor; good runner production; grows well in most regions; everbearing.
- ‘Fort Laramie’: medium to large berries; firm flesh; excellent flavor; abundant runners; grow well in central states and west; everbearing.
- ‘Gem’: small, deep red berries; tart flavor; good dessert quality; grows well in northeast and Midwest; everbearing.
- ‘Geneva’: soft, flavorful berries; grows well in northeast and Midwest; everbearing.
- ‘Hecker’: large bright red berries; excellent flavor; use fresh or preserve; grows well in California; day-neutral.
- ‘Ogallala’: medium size dark red berries; soft flesh, tart flavor; good for freezing; grows well in northeast and Midwest; everbearing.
- ‘Ozark Beauty’ ‘: medium size, glossy red fruit; excellent flavor; best in cold winter regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; everbearing.
- ‘Quinault’: large, soft fruit; excellent for freezing; heavy bearing late in the season; good runner production; everbearing.
- ‘Selva’: large, deep red berries; mild flavor; best in warm regions; resists red stele; day-neutral.
- ‘Seascape’: large berries; good for fresh eating and preserving; grow as annuals in cold winter regions; day-neutral.
- ‘Tribute’: medium to large glossy red fruit; tart flavor; disease resistant; grows well in most regions; day-neutral.
- ‘Tristar’: medium-size, deep red berries; excellent flavor; resists red stele and verticillium wilt; widely adapted, grows well in most regions; day-neutral.
- ‘Yolo’: medium-size fruit; compact plant; resistant to verticillium.; day-neutral.
June-Bearing Strawberries
Early Season Harvest
- ‘Blakemore’: small, firm bright red berries; rich flavor; excellent for preserves; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Cyclone’: large, brilliant red, flavorful fruit; resists leaf diseases; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Darrow’: medium-large, deep red berries; firm flesh; good flavor; a moderate number of runners; June bearing.
- ‘Dixieland’: medium to large, firm berries; acidic flavor; excellent for freezing; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Douglas’: large deep red fruit; firm flesh; excellent flavor; high sugar content; suited to California; June bearing.
- ‘Dunlap’: medium size, light red fruit; hardy plant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Earlibelle’: medium to large, firm bright red berries; good for canning and freezing; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Earliglow’: June-bearing; medium size, rich red berries; excellent flavor; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June-bearing.
- ‘Empire’: large, light red berries; dessert quality; very productive; good in northern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Fairfax’: medium size, purplish-red fruit when ripe; dessert quality; June bearing.
- ‘Fletcher’: medium-size fruit; excellent flavor; good for freezing; June bearing.
- ‘Midland’: good fresh or frozen; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Northeaster’: large fruit; grows well in clay soil; resists red stele; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Premier’: June-bearing; large glossy red berries; juicy; disease and frost resistant; June bearing.
- ‘Sequoia’: large dark red berries; soft flesh; excellent flavor; starts producing early; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Sunrise’: medium size, bright red fruit; dessert quality; produces ample runners; red stele and verticillium resistant; June bearing.
- ‘Tioga’: medium to large, medium red fruit; firm flesh; good flavor; prolific producer; June bearing.
- ‘Titan’: large, berries; firm flesh; good flavor; high yield; June bearing.
- ‘Tufts’: large, even red fruit; dessert quality; high sugar content with some tartness; June bearing.
- ‘Veestar’: medium size, glossy red fruit; moderately firm flesh; slightly tart, excellent flavor; June bearing.
Midseason Harvest
- ‘Allstar’: June-bearing.
- ‘Cardinal’: large, firm uniformly red berries; sweet flavor; for fresh eating and processing; resists leaf spot, powdery mildew, leaf scorch; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Catskill’: large glossy, bright crimson berries; good dessert quality; excellent for freezing; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Douglas’: large, firm berries; grows well in California; June bearing.
- ‘Florida Ninety’: large berries; good flavor; good yield; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Glooscap’: medium to large, glossy red berries; excellent flavor and quality; makes runners freely; best in cool and wet climates; June bearing.
- ‘Guardian’: large, light red berries; good flavor; good for desserts; freezes well; disease resistant; good in cold winter regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Headliner’: good quality; good fruit and runner production; resists leaf spot; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Holiday’: large fruit; good production; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Honeoye’: large, bright red berries; sweet-tart flavor; good in cold regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Hood’: large, conical, medium-red berries; excellent flavor for fresh eating or processing; early ripening; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Jewel’: large, firm, bright red berries; best in cold winter regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Kent’: very large, dark red berries, firm flesh; for fresh eating and frozen desserts; produces ample runners; adapted to northern climates, winter hardy; June bearing.
- ‘Lester’: large, deep red berries; firm flesh, mild flavor; resists red stele; susceptible to verticillium; June bearing.
- ‘Midway’: large, deep red glossy berries; dessert-quality fruit; susceptible to leaf spot and verticillium wilt; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Northwest’: medium to large firm, bright red berries; flavorful; good fresh or in preserves; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
- ‘Olympus’: June-bearing; medium to large fruit; resists red stele and viral diseases; grows well in northwest
- ‘Pocahontas’: June-bearing; good frozen and in preserves; resists leaf scorch; grows well in southern regions also in the northeast; June bearing.
- ‘Puget Beauty’: large, light crimson fruit; flavorful; excellent fresh and for freezing and preserves; resists mildew; June bearing.
- ‘Rainier’: large berries; flavorful; tolerates root rot; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
- ‘Raritan’: large, glossy, bright red berries; firm flesh; dessert quality; productive; susceptible to red stele and wilt; June bearing.
- ‘Redchief’: medium size, firm, deep red berries; very productive; resists red stele (root rot); June bearing.
- ‘Red Coat’: medium to large, light red glossy berries; firm flesh; good for freezing and jam; resist powdery mildew; June bearing.
- ‘Robinson’: medium to large, red berries; mild flavor; virus disease tolerant; drought-resistant; June bearing.
- ‘Royal Sovereign’: large, bright red berries; excellent flavor; susceptible to disease; June bearing.
- ‘Scott’: large fruit, bright red fruit; firm flesh; mild flavor; freezes well; resistant to red stele; verticillium tolerant; June bearing.
- ‘Sequoia’: large berries; good for freezing and preserves; moderate runner production; June bearing.
- ‘Shasta’: large berries; good for freezing and preserves; June bearing.
- ‘Snow White’: small to medium, white fruit; mild flavor; June bearing.
- ‘Sparkle’: midseason medium size, dark red, glossy fruit; soft flesh; excellent for dessert and freezing; powdery mildew resistant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Surecrop’: large, firm bright red fruit; tart flavor; good dessert quality; resists diseases; grow in all regions; June bearing.
- ‘Suwannee’: medium to large fruit; excellent flavor; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Tangi’: medium-large fruit; excellent flavor; good disease resistance; June bearing.
- ‘Tennesse Beauty’: June-bearing; medium size, medium to deep red berries; good flavor; good fresh or frozen; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Vermillion’: very hardy; June bearing.
- ‘White Pine’: small fruit, glossy white skin; moderately productive; June bearing.
Late Season Harvest
- ‘Apollo’: large, deep scarlet berries; sweet flavor; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Albritton’: large berries; rich flavor; for freezing; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Arking’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Benton’: soft berries; good flavor; virus tolerant, mildew resistant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Canoga’: large red, sweet fruit; heavy production; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Camarosa’: conical berries; susceptible to mildew; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Crimson King’: grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Daybreak’: large berries; good flavor; good for preserving; vigorous plants; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Delite’: medium to large, bright red fruit; good flavor, dessert quality; very productive; June bearing.
- ‘Fletcher’: medium to large fruit, medium red, glossy fruit; juicy; mild flavor; good for freezing; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Howard 17’ (‘Premier’): medium size berries; good quality; disease resistant; grows well in northeast and midwest; June bearing..
- ‘Jerseybelle’: large, medium red fruit; mild flavor; few runners; moderate production; June bearing.
- ‘Marlate’: very large bright red fruit; sweet flavor; good fresh and freezes well; very hardy; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Puget Beauty’: grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
- ‘Puget Reliance’: large, tasty berries; excellent flavor; virus tolerant; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
- ‘Puget Summer’: heavy yield, late-season; sweet flavor; susceptible to powdery mildew; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
- ‘Redchief’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Redstar’: large fruit; good dessert quality; resists viral disease; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Robinson’: large berries; good yield; long harvest; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Sequoia’: very tasty; widely adapted; grows well in California; June bearing.
- ‘Shasta’: grows well in California; June bearing.
- ‘Sunrise’: firm berries; very good flavor; not for freezing; resists diseases; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Surecrop’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
- ‘Toklat’: large, sweet berries; susceptible to botrytis; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Trumpeter’: large, bright red fruit; firm, juicy flesh; slightly tart; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
- ‘Vesper’: medium size, glossy light red fruit; good flavor; ripens rapidly; grows well in the east; June bearing.
Also of interest:
How to Grow Strawberries
Strawberry Varieties for Backyard Gardens
Strawberry Plant Starting Tips
Starting Strawberry Plants from Runners
Growing Strawberries in Hot Summer Climates
Planting Strawberries
Strawberry: Kitchen Basics
