My friend is looking for some strawberries of the Royal sovereign variety. We are in the South Surrey, British Columbia area in Canada. I understand these are probably pretty easy to find in the UK but I am definitely looking for some local ones. Thank you for any help.
Good morning Gillian, my friend emigrated to Canada some years ago to coach golf and I kept in touch for many years. I remember one thing he said was that he missed the British Strawberry with it's intense flavours. He was on the look out then for Royal Sovereign plants, with no luck. So I would have to say that I don't think you can get Royal Sovereign plants in BC. I maybe wrong, but that's what I gathered from my friend, bearing in mind this was around 10 years ago.
Good morning to you, Acerholic, although, Good evening might be more appropriate to you at this point. Thank you for your reply and you may be correct. My friend did have them in Canada as a child. Her parents got some plants from her neighbour, so I know they have been here. I know she has been looking for years for them and has not had any luck. I suspect there is some diehard gardener out there with a few because I know what I am like and likely what you are like (“holic” is the clue).
Due to chronic disease issues resulting in ongoing production of new named selections planting clonal material of old plants from over the back fence might not give an optimal result. Best instead to start with clean stock of modern varieties currently on the market, among which you might find one or more that tastes good enough.
There appears to be a link to this variety of strawberry right here in the Lower Mainland - Wikipedia, at least in the past. Perhaps they can still be found growing somewhere locally.
The importance of clean plant material in strawberry virus epidemics • Start with clean plants, start with clean plants, start with clean plants…. A Day in the Virology Lab or Virus Research Update (filesusr.com)
Perhaps an inquiry to The BC Strawberry Growers Association will bear fruit. They may have information on the Royal Sovereign cultivar or can suggest something similar if not.
