British Columbia: Fragaria Chiloensis - Beach strawberry

Discussion in 'Pacific Northwest Native Plants' started by Daniela N, Jul 6, 2015.

  1. Daniela N

    Daniela N Member

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    Location:
    Richmond, BC Canada
    Hi all,

    Four years ago I bought 4 Fragaria Chiloensis - Beach strawberry plants at the UBC plant sale, 2 male plants and two females. I put them in a long rectangular container. The following year they had multiplied as I didn't remove the many runners. Eventually they outgrew the container and I transplanted them as a border in one of my raised beds. I now have about 27 feet of them as borders, all offspring of those first four plants. I haven't kept track of which ones are males or females.
    I like their shiny dark green leaves, the big white flowers in the spring, and they are so hardy, they survive the winter so well and grow so lush in the spring. The rule I have for my backyard is that plants have to be either edible or BC natives. These strawberries fulfill the second requirement, but unlike my other everbearing strawberries they don't produce much edible strawberries. There are some, but tiny.
    I am now considering replacing them with more everbearing strawberries to have more fruit to eat in the summer. The other reason I am considering replacing them is that I like low maintenance gardening and these produce so many runners that I have to cut them every day to stay on top of them or they would literally take over my entire raised beds. They have to be placed somewhere where they can spread or where they would be contained without too much work.
    I would be happy to give the plants to someone who wants them or donate them to a park or to UBC Botanical Garden because I know they would survive the transplant and thrive wherever they are placed. I'd like to see them go some place where they will continue to thrive, rather than just to the compost pile.
    Let me know if there's any interest. I am in Richmond.
    But I've warned you... they multiply like crazy...
     

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    Last edited: Jul 10, 2015

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