Strawberry, Alpine; Fraise de Bois (Fragaria vesca)

USDA Zones: 34567890
Plant Type: Herbaceous
Yield: Fair
Storable: Not
Bears: Promptly
Shape: Mounded
Height: under 4'
Spread: 1-7ft
Lifespan: Sub-dog
Growth: Fast
Pruning: Optional
Origin: ?
Food Type: Fruit,
Appearance: Ornamental,Flowers,
Uses: Fresh,Preserves,Butterflies,
Misc. Features: Self-productive,Seedlings,Pottable,
Prefers: Loam,Part-shade,
Rejects: Drought,Heat,Poor soil,Soggy soil,
Problems: [MINIMAL],Other,
Cycles: Early harvest
Harvest & Use
The alpine strawberry is less productive than commercial strawberries; the fruit is smaller, wilder tasting, and borne throughout the growing season (most abundantly in spring). The flowers attract butterflies. Yellow-fruited varieties are less attractive to birds, probably a Good Thing since the plants are far from prolific.
Appearance
The alpine strawberry is a compact and often tidy (for a strawberry anyway) ground plant; many varieties are runnerless. Flowers are white, fruits cream or red depending on cultivar.
Cultivation
All strawberries loses productivity quickly, but are easily uprooted and replaced. Alpine will grow in a 6" pot. Propagate by dividing the crown.
Comment
The origin of the alpine strawberry is usually attributed to the western and southern Alps of Europe. So, with some surprise I read a USDA publication describing F. vesca as native to North America.

Copyrights. I asked several nurseries for permission to scan the photos from their catalogs. Raintree and St. Lawrence agreed to provide you with that resource at no charge: you are encouraged to reward them in the obvious way. The scans from Raintree are grainy because Raintree is environmentally conscious and prints its catalog on recycled, non-glossy paper which scans poorly--their plants are large and top-notch. I haven't decided whether to use the drawings from St. Lawrence (they're pencil drawings), but they are already on the Web at the St. Lawrence's site, so you can always view them there. I have no affiliation with any nursery (in fact I've never purchased from St. Lawrence).