Alpine strawberry

Alpine strawberry

Alpine strawberries were originally native to Europe and Asia, but the plants have been bred and cultivated to select varieties known for flavor that’s above and beyond the native wild strain. The fruits of alpine strawberry plants are small and conical. Known as fraises des bois in France (which translates to “berries of the woods”), they are celebrated and cherished throughout their harvest period.

Alpine

You’ll be thrilled to see how ornamental alpine strawberries are. They’re really pretty little plants. Thriving in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil, alpine strawberries are a good choice for gardeners with a moderate amount of shade. They earned the name woodland strawberries for a reason; they can tolerate much more shade than regular strawberries can. And, since the plants form such tidy clumps, they make a wonderful edible groundcover, too.Regardless of which variety or varieties you grow, all alpine strawberries aren’t just good for fresh eating; they also make a fragrant and luscious jam and excellent strawberry syrup and homemade ice cream (here’s the ice cream maker I use for this very important job! ).

Alpine strawberry plants require minimal care. Add a top-dressing of compost to the planting area every spring, or fertilize with an organic granular fertilizer at the start of each growing season, before the plants come into flower. Keep them well-watered during times of drought and remove any rotten or diseased fruits as soon as they are noticed. I find alpine strawberries to be far more pest and disease resistant than their regular strawberry cousins. Part of alpine strawberry care also involves regularly harvesting the fruits, which is far from hard to do. You will look forward to plucking them from the plants on a daily basis, trust me! Regular harvests keep the plant producing and limit fungal diseases that could take hold of old fruits left on the plants too long. (Source: savvygardening.com)