Planting Guide: Mountain Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Tip: Give it sun to part shade and let the runners roam — it makes a fast, edible, evergreen groundcover, and a few plants soon become a fruiting patch.
When Your Plant Arrives
Open the box promptly. Your plant travels dormant — no leaves and no soil — which is normal and the healthiest way for it to ship. Keep the roots moist and cool, and unwrap them only when you’re ready to plant. Aim to get it into the ground or a pot within a day or two; if you can’t, tuck the roots into damp soil, sawdust, or a bucket of moist material and hold it somewhere cool and out of frost. Don’t let the roots dry out or sit in standing water. If anything looks amiss, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll make it right.
Choosing a Site
Light: Full sun to part shade.
Soil: Well-drained; adaptable.
Space: 12–18 in apart; it fills in by runners.
Planting Steps
Plant in spring or fall.
Set the crown at soil level (not buried), firm, and water in. Let runners root to spread the patch.
Watering & Care
Establishment: Keep evenly moist the first season.
After establishment: Moderate water; easy.
Maintenance: Thin runners if crowded; refresh the patch every few years for best fruiting.
Protection
Deer: May nibble.
Wildlife: Flowers for pollinators, berries for birds (net for a share).
Companions: Under shrubs, along paths, or as a living mulch.
Harvest Basics
Season: Berries in early summer; leaves spring through fall.
Use: Sweet and aromatic (a wild parent of the modern strawberry) — fresh or preserved; dry the leaves for tea.
