The other day I was singing the praises of Alpine strawberries across the table at the Master Gardener luncheon, when I thought I might as well shout across the blog about them too. I think they are about as near perfect a plant as you can get. For gardeners expanding their edible landscapes or new kitchen gardeners, this red berry should be on your radar.
Alpine Strawberries (The Garden Buzz)
Alpine strawberries have a taste that's hard to pin down. It has been described as perfumed, yet I think that gives a bad connotation. It's not the soapy type of perfume taste. It's complex without the tartness of a cultivated berry but with a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. No sugar needed.
You can't even use my "can I grow it better than the grocery store" rule. You'll never see an alpine strawberry in the store; they are simply too delicate to make the trip. They go from green to ripe to too ripe, too quickly for the marvels of modern food marketing. Yet the berries are in a perpetual state of production, so the supply never runs out until frost.
These delicious little gems rarely make it to the kitchen, I eat them in hand every time I pass the plant. So prolific, there always seems to be more as I rifle through the foliage. They can give your Cheerios a sense of European sophistication if you gather them early in the morning. A few times I have combined them with other berries, like regular strawberries, blueberries and even mulberries on lemon cheese tarts. They combine well with other berries for more depth in taste.
I did have one problem last year; my new puppy watched me picking them and before I knew it he was nipping them off the plant to eat as well. As far as I know there are no ill effect besides the unwanted competition.
Alpine strawberries, or Fraises des Bois, come from the wild woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, in fact you can can grow the wild version, or any number of cultivated versions. Compared to when I started my first ones from seed, there are many varieties available. They differ from domesticated strawberries in that they produce small, pointed, almost conical berries on clumping plants. Without runners, the benefit is that these plants can be used in the perennial landscape and put in permanent positions without the need to constantly rejuvenate the patch.
The bright green leaves are attractive in their own right with deep serrated texture. The rounded shape is great for edging or spotting throughout the border. The dainty little flowers are adorable. The plant is easy to grow with good soil and adequate moisture, mine have seldom been bothered by pests. They'll even tolerate a little shade. These little jewels make it possible to grow fruit in small spaces.
Do be warned, there are impostors. In my haste one year I ordered plants from one of those iffy mail order places; the berries were rounder and bland, and then the runners started running and ruined my bed. Pay attention to the fruit shape and description if possible when buying seeds or plants.
Alpine strawberry plants are now available from a number of sources, and sometimes appear in nurseries. That can only improve as everyone learns about the flavor and versatility of this fruit. I've listed some sources for seeds and plants with the different varieties noted.
Seeds
Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants Fragaria vesca
Renee's Garden Seeds "Mignonette"
Thompson and Morgan "Mignonette"
Kitchen Garden Seeds "Red Wonder" and "Yellow Wonder" (The yellow not preferred by birds? The berries hide in the foliage so I don't know if this is truly an issue)
Richter's Herbs "Ruegens"
Select Seeds "Alexandria"
Plants
Bluestone Perennials "Ruegens Improved"
White Flower Farm "Fraises des Bois"
And if you don't believe me when I tell you how great Alpine strawberries are in the garden and your tummy, take it from Henry-dog. Would he lead you astray?
