Strawberries are a delicious and rewarding fruit to grow in your own garden. With hundreds of varieties to choose from, it can be tricky to know which are the best strawberries to plant for your particular region and growing conditions. In this article we’ll go over some of the most popular and proven strawberry varieties that grow well in gardens across North America.
Choosing the Right Strawberry Variety
Picking strawberry varieties that do well in your hardiness zone and climate is the most important thing you can do to make sure your garden grows well. Strawberries can be grouped into three main groups based on how they grow.
June-bearing – Produce one large crop of berries in early summer. Most common type grown.
Never-ending: Grow two smaller crops, one in early summer and one in late summer or early fall.
Day-neutral – Produce berries throughout the growing season. Best for warm climates.
Along with growth habit, it’s also crucial to consider disease resistance, chill hours required, and flavor when selecting strawberry varieties. Refer to local Cooperative Extension offices for recommended types for your specific area.
Most Popular Strawberry Varieties
Here are some of the most widely grown strawberry varieties in home gardens:
Chandler
June-bearing
Widely adapted, performs well across North America
Large, firm, glossy red berries
High yields
Susceptible to root rot in wet conditions
Earliglow
June-bearing
Cold hardy, recommended for northern gardens
Small to medium-sized conic berries
Sweet flavor, soft texture
Susceptible to leaf scorch
Camarosa
June-bearing
Recommended for warm winter climates
Large, firm, flavorful berries
High yield
Susceptible to Verticillium wilt
Ozark Beauty
Everbearing
Cold hardy and disease resistant
Small to medium berries
Good for jams and preserves
Quinault
Everbearing
Cold hardy, suited for Pacific Northwest
Large, soft, aromatic berries
Prone to soil fungal diseases
Tribute
Day-neutral
Widely adapted
Large, firm, conical berries
Mildly sweet flavor
High yields through summer
Albion
Day-neutral
Resistant to root rot and anthracnose
Medium to large berries
High yield potential
Recommended for warm climates
This article talks about some of the most popular and successful strawberry varieties that can be grown at home, based on how they grow and where they do well. Check with your local extension office to see what kinds of plants will grow best in your area’s climate and growing conditions. If you choose the right type of strawberry, you’ll have a lot of sweet, juicy berries to pick from your garden.
The “best” strawberry variety depends on individual taste preferences and growing conditions, but some highly recommended options include Albion, Chandler, and Mara des Bois. Albion is known for its sweet flavor and large, firm fruit. Chandler produces large, dark red berries with excellent flavor and is known for its high yield.
Which are better, everbearing or June-bearing strawberries?
June-bearing strawberries are the most familiar type and produce the largest fruits as well as large yields. Ever-bearing plants produce two smaller crops, one in June and another in early fall. June-bearing varieties also produce larger numbers of runners than ever-bearing varieties.
What month is the best month to plant strawberries?
Middle to late August generally is the best time to plant strawberries in all locations.
What do coffee grounds do for strawberry plants?
What are the benefits of coffee grounds for strawberries? Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for strawberries as not only does it help the plant to grow, but it helps the plant to produce fruit, thus, promoting more crop growth, reports the Express.
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The best strawberry varieties to grow at home
Most fruit grows back every year, so you can enjoy (or not enjoy) the quality of the varieties you choose for many years to come. Flavour should be paramount, but also have an eye on when they produce. I’m not much of a preserver, so I tend to like a long season rather than a glut, which guides my choice.
‘Honeoye’ is a superb early-season variety, fruiting through June, when ‘Cambridge Favourite’ takes over for Wimbledon and July into August, alongside another older variety, ‘Royal Sovereign’.
‘Mara des Bois’ comes next, giving me delicious berries from mid August into autumn. These are my non-negotiables; the rest come and go, as I try different varieties. Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter.
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A punnet of Mara des bois strawberries.
Some new favorites are “Just Add Cream” and “Marshmello,” a sweet and sour strawberry that is so delicate that you won’t find it in stores.
The latter is not only delicious and productive over a long season, but its pink flowers and intense scent also offer reasons to plant it. I suspect it may become a non-negotiable one, too.
I often grow new varieties in containers. Strawberries are so well suited to container growing and it gives me a chance to see how good they are before committing them to my precious space in the garden. Harvesting is easier, slug damage reduced and the plants and fruit are well exposed to sun and breeze.
The form of some varieties is especially suited to containers, with ‘Montana’ perhaps my favourite of these: it’s compact, has a great flavour, sends out a flurry of white flowers in spring and offers a long season of good-sized, sweet fruit.
These Are The BEST Strawberry Plants I’ve Ever Seen!
FAQ
What is the best variety of strawberries?
Which strawberry variety is “best” depends on personal taste and growing conditions, but Albion, Chandler, and Mara des Bois are all very good choices. Albion is known for its sweet flavor and large, firm fruit. Chandler produces large, dark red berries with excellent flavor and is known for its high yield.
Which are better, everbearing or June-bearing strawberries?
June-bearing strawberries are the most familiar type and produce the largest fruits as well as large yields. Ever-bearing plants produce two smaller crops, one in June and another in early fall. June-bearing varieties also produce larger numbers of runners than ever-bearing varieties.
What month is the best month to plant strawberries?
Middle to late August generally is the best time to plant strawberries in all locations.
What do coffee grounds do for strawberry plants?
What good things do coffee grounds do for strawberries? According to the Express, nitrogen is an important nutrient for strawberries because it helps the plant grow and make fruit, which leads to more crop growth.
