Strawberry

Wild strawberry brings to the garden the charm of forest clearings and sunny glades, where it naturally occurs across all of Europe and northern Asia. This tiny but hardy herb is valued primarily for its incredibly aromatic fruits, which, although they cannot compete with cultivated garden strawberries in size, easily surpass them in their intense flavor and aroma. The plant forms low cushions of deep green trifoliate leaves, and from April to June it is adorned with tiny, pure white flowers that are an irresistible attraction for bees and other pollinators. Thanks to its low maintenance and frost resistance down to -35 °C, it is an ideal choice even for beginner growers. In the garden, wild strawberry perfectly fulfills the function of a groundcover perennial that spreads quickly via long above-ground runners and can effectively suppress weeds. It does best in sun or partial shade, where it has access to humous and slightly moist soil, exactly what it would find in the undergrowth of light deciduous forests. It is suitable for natural corners of the garden, under shrubs or as an edging for flowerbeds, where you can pick a sweet reward at any time. Although you won't use it much for cutting into a vase or for drying, its value lies in its living beauty and edible fruits, which ripen gradually and offer the purest taste of nature right at your home.