Strawberry varieties: list of popular varieties

Planting strawberries: varieties & species at a glance

Strawberries have long played an important role in the human diet. Our hunting and gathering ancestors already snacked on the sweet fruits of the strawberry as a gathering fruit. They began to be cultivated on a large scale in the Middle Ages. At that time, only the wild strawberry, which is native to Europe, was known.

Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) are a species that produces comparatively small but very aromatic fruits. You can often find this native strawberry variety growing wild in forests or meadows. Month strawberries, which bear fruit several times a year, also originate from this species. These include varieties such as 'Ostara' and 'Toscana'. There are also other old strawberry varieties that originated in other parts of the world. These include the apricot strawberry (Fragaria nilgerrensis), which originates from South East Asia. This everbearing wild form is reminiscent of the wild strawberry in taste. However, it produces apricot-like fruit. Another wild form from the Himalayas is the cracked strawberry (Fragaria viridis).

The scarlet strawberry or raspberry strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is native to North America. This variety produces small fruits with an intense aroma and sweet taste. Another American strawberry species is the Chilean straw berry (Fragaria chiloensis), which can produce white, pale pink to bright red fruits. A cross between the scarlet strawberry and the Chilean strawberry results in a new species: the garden strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa). Garden strawberries are cultivars of wild strawberries that produce larger fruits. There are multiple-bearing and single-bearing varieties, among which there are early-bearing and late-bearing varieties. Examples of garden strawberries are 'Elsanta' or 'Korona'.

In addition to these varieties, there is also the special musk strawberry (Fragaria moschata), also known as the cinnamon strawberry or Bisamer strawberry. This variety stands out from others due to its special musky flavor. However, these strawberries do not tolerate frost or strong temperature fluctuations. Due to their vigorous growth, they grow larger than garden strawberries. Varieties of musk strawberries include 'Capron' and 'Profumanta di Tortona'. Strawberries have been cultivated by people all over the world for a very long time, so the variety of strawberry species is huge. We have only mentioned a few examples here, but the type of garden strawberry is the most important for cultivation anyway.

How many strawberry varieties are there?

It was only with the discovery of America that new species with larger fruits spread to our latitudes. Countless new varieties were created and we now have over 1000 different varieties worldwide. There are variety-specific preferences of the plants for the location and climate, as well as differences in taste, appearance and growth. In addition, old varieties are often not self-fertile. Self-fertile varieties that do not depend on pollinators to produce fruit were only created through breeding. In Central Europe, there are around 20 varieties that are grown for sale as strawberries. You can find out how to grow strawberries with tips on planting, sowing and picking here.

What types of strawberries are there?

Due to the wide variety of strawberries, there are several distinguishing features. You can choose between plants with large fruits and those with small fruits. The wild and old varieties, which include wild strawberries, tend to produce small fruits. In contrast, newly bred garden strawberries tend to be large-fruited, as they have been bred for a higher yield. Depending on the variety, these strawberries also prefer either a sunny or semi-shady location. Large-fruited strawberry varieties usually benefit from a sunny location and the fruits gain sweetness and flavor. Small-fruited varieties also like partial shade. You can also choose between ground-covering varieties and varieties that grow hanging or climbing. These varieties are also well suited for space-saving cultivation on the balcony. Another distinguishing feature is the harvest time. There are everbearing and single-bearing varieties. Single-bearing varieties are often divided into early, medium and late varieties, which indicate the time of harvest.

Strawberry varieties for the garden: Garden strawberries

We now have a wide range of strawberry varieties for the garden. These are divided into very early and very late varieties according to the harvest date. A distinction is also made between single-bearing and multiple-bearing varieties.

This distinction is based on the fruiting of the strawberries, as the plants react differently to the length of the day. Single-bearing varieties flower and fruit under short-day conditions, while multiple-bearing varieties produce a crop under long-day conditions. There are also day-neutral strawberry varieties, which occupy a special position here. With this diversity of different varieties, you can create the largest possible harvest window.

Single-bearing strawberry varieties: Early & late varieties

Single-bearing varieties are the classic garden strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa). Varieties such as Clery, Lambada, Honeoye, Elvira, Daroyal, Polka and Sonata are among the early to medium-early varieties. Medium-late to late varieties, on the other hand, are Elsanta, Mieze Schindler, Salsa and Florence. These varieties only produce their flowers and fruit once a year in spring, while the days are still short. Depending on the variety, they can then be harvested from May to June/July. This is why single-bearing strawberry varieties are also known as June-bearing or early summer-bearing varieties. Compared to everbearing varieties, single-bearing varieties usually produce larger fruit.

Table: Early, medium and late strawberry varieties

Everbearing strawberries: The best varieties

Multi-bearing varieties, on the other hand, are also able to develop flowers during the warm summer months and under long-day conditions. Their harvest window follows that of the single-bearing strawberry varieties and begins in June/July. After a resting phase in which new flowers are set, they can be harvested again in August/September . Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) belong to the multi-bearing (remontant) species. Varieties such as Waldkönigin or Baron von Solemacher are popular among gardeners. Monthly strawberries (Fragaria vesca var. semperflorens) are also remontant. Varieties such as Mara des Bois, Ostara and Rügen or the climbing strawberry Kletter Toni have proven themselves here.

List of popular multiple-bearing strawberry varieties:

• Amandine: This easy-care variety produces medium-sized, elongated to heart-shaped fruits. Harvesting is possible well into the fall, especially as this variety is quite resistant to diseases.
• Bravura: A strawberry variety that produces medium-sized, sweet fruits. Its berries are firm, making them easy to store. This variety is also well suited for cultivation in fairly hot weather.
• Favori: This variety is a cultivar of Mara de Bois with aromatic, mostly large fruits.
• Furore: With a good yield and fruit quality, this is a popular variety that can be harvested early in the year.
• Hademar: This strawberry variety develops sweet, firm fruits that can be harvested between July and October. It is resistant to diseases such as powdery mildew, gray mold and thrips.
• Mara de Bois: This is a hybrid of wild and garden strawberries with medium-sized, dark red fruits. Although the yield is not quite as high, the fruits have a special musky aroma.
• Ostara: In a sunny location, this variety grows particularly quickly and produces a very high yield. The small berries impress with their full-bodied aroma. Harvesting is possible until October.

Old strawberry varieties: List of special varieties

• There are some varieties that stand out from the others: If you like planting old varieties, you can choose varieties such as Rügen, Königin Luise or Mieze Schindler. With old varieties, however, you should bear in mind that they are usually not yet self-fertile. You should therefore plant another variety, such as 'Senga Sengana', alongside plants of the 'Mieze Schindler' variety.
• There is also a special variation in breeding: strawberry plants that produce white fruit. Varieties such as Snow White or Natural White are popular here. An old strawberry variety with white fruit is the 'Apricot Chinoise' variety.
• Another special variety is Florika (Fragaria vecana), which is also known as strawberry meadow . Its runners form a closed ground cover that grows by around 50 cm each year.

You can find out which strawberry varieties are approved via the Federal Plant Variety Office. Here are some varieties that can be found in old literature and have received a variety approval for the preservation of biodiversity. These varieties are rarely found in commercial strawberry cultivation, but can easily be grown in hobby gardens. Numerous varieties are listed here, such as Abricotée, Abel Carrière, Admiral Dundas, Alexander, Alpha, Amateur, Austria, Cassandra, Champion, Comet, Cosmos, German Empress, German Hero, Eleanor, Eliza, Emma, Favorite, Gaillon, Gallande, Hammonia and many more. These varieties originate from a literary source from 1888, Goeschke's Book of Strawberries. Old varieties are varieties that were first classified in the nineteenth century. You can find out more about old varieties in our article.

Best strawberry varieties for the balcony: Hanging strawberries

Many strawberry varieties take up a lot of space with their runners. Month strawberries are therefore best suited for growing on the balcony. They hardly form any runners and are usually propagated by direct sowing. These plants can be cultivated compactly in a pot. Month strawberries are descended from the wild strawberries native to this area. For this reason, these crosses are very robust and can also be grown in partial shade. Depending on the variety, you can harvest delicious strawberries from your balcony from June to November.

There are also climbing strawberry varieties that are well suited to vertical cultivation on the balcony. These varieties are characterized by strong tendrils and runners, but they do not climb on their own. You need to attach the tendrils to a climbing support so that they can grow by climbing. A trellis or climbing spirals are suitable climbing aids. However, you could also use a rabbit fence or wooden poles. If you don't attach them, these strawberry varieties can also grow hanging. You can find more ideas for space-saving, vertical cultivation of fruit and vegetables in this article.

Climbing strawberries: Varieties for vertical cultivation

• Flamenco: This everbearing strawberry variety produces a large harvest with sweet, firm fruits. Well suited for vertical cultivation in hanging pots.
• Hummi: Everbearing variety with strong vines and sweet fruits. Robust variety with low susceptibility to fungal diseases such as gray mould.
• Kletter Toni: Strawberry plant with large, red and juicy fruits. This variety is everbearing and well suited for the balcony.
• Mountainstar: This single-bearing variety also tolerates colder temperatures well. You can start harvesting the sweet, aromatic fruits early in the year. Good fruit quality.
• Super Star: Single-bearing strawberry variety with light red, large fruits of very good quality.
• Tarpan: Forms beautiful pink flowers that are very decorative. An everbearing strawberry variety with small, sweet fruits.
• Toscana: Everbearing strawberry variety with pink flowers. Hanging growth habit, can therefore be grown well in pots or vertically.

Table: List of strawberry varieties

Source: https://www.bundessortenamt.de/bsa/media/Files/BSL/bsl_erdbeere_2015.pdf

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Titelbild von Alejandro Piñero Amerio from Pixabay