• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Strawberry Plants
  • About | Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Growing
  • Varieties
  • Seeds
  • Plant
  • Q & A
  • Picking
  • Health
  • Plants for Sale
  • Recipes
search icon
Homepage link
  • Growing
  • Varieties
  • Seeds
  • Plant
  • Q & A
  • Picking
  • Health
  • Plants for Sale
  • Recipes
×

Home » Strawberry Varieties

How to Find and Use Alpine Strawberries from the Wild

Modified: Feb 14, 2022 by Mr. Strawberry · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Have you ever gone hiking and seen some tiny red berries poking out of the ground? You may just have discovered some wonderful alpine strawberries. Alpine strawberries are very similar to the strawberries you find in stores commercially, but they are much smaller. They don’t have runners, and you won’t see fruit much larger than a fingernail. There could be only a few dangling together, giving you a unique opportunity to grab a small number of fruits for a midday snack.

Alpine strawberries with ripe fruits

The alpine strawberry is actually a member of the rose family. It is related to the wood strawberry, which is found in France. It is not the same as the mock strawberry, though, which looks similar (and is something to look out for).

Jump to:
  • Where Can You Find Alpine Strawberries?
  • When Can You Expect to Find Alpine Strawberries?
  • Can You Plant Alpine Strawberries?
  • Are Alpine Strawberries Poisonous?
  • Enjoy Alpine Strawberries

Where Can You Find Alpine Strawberries?

You can find alpine strawberries all over the planet. There are forms of the alpine strawberry in Europe, South America, northern Asia, North America, and Africa. The common alpine strawberry was discovered in the Alps, which is where it got its name.

Get seeds or plants from Amazon.

Bestseller No. 1 KIRA SEEDS - Alpine Strawberry Alexandria - Everbearing Fruits for Planting - GMO Free
KIRA SEEDS - Alpine Strawberry Alexandria -...
Buy on Amazon
Bestseller No. 2 SeedsUP - 100+ Alpine Strawberry Alexandria Everbearing - Fruit Red
SeedsUP - 100+ Alpine Strawberry Alexandria...
Buy on Amazon
Bestseller No. 3 Seeds Alpine Strawberry Baron Solemacher Everbearing Climbing Berries Heirloom for Planting Non GMO
Seeds Alpine Strawberry Baron Solemacher...
Buy on Amazon
Bestseller No. 4 Alpine Wild Strawberry Deesse des Valles Runnerless Remontant About 100 Seeds
Alpine Wild Strawberry Deesse des Valles...
Buy on Amazon

When Can You Expect to Find Alpine Strawberries?

Alpine strawberries are amazing because they grow throughout the months of June to October. That means that it’s much easier to find this fruit throughout the year, usually in spring, summer and fall. If an area has a longer growing season, then you may find strawberries beyond those months.

If you would like to forage for wild strawberries, then look for them in old orchards or near wild black cherry trees. You may find them around grape ferns and in abandoned fields. If you are looking for a place to start, you can begin browsing near the edges of woods and forests, where they’re more likely to be prominent.

Foraging along walking paths, you should be able to find alpine strawberries pretty quickly. They grow best in partial sunlight and will be happier in shallow soils or rocky areas. If the area doesn’t have a lot of grass, the alpine strawberry may still be able to grow thanks to its shallow root system.

Overall, a few good places to look include:

  • Higher elevations
  • Clearings in forests or woods
  • Along pathways
  • Wooded locations
  • Fields
Alpine or wil strawberries close-up

Can You Plant Alpine Strawberries?

Of course! They grow best in USDA zones 3 to 10 in the United States. You can buy them in multiple colors, usually cream, yellow or red. If you would like to have a variety of strawberries with a real flavorful punch, then plant these early in the season. They’ll grow by spring and continue to produce through the fall. You can use the fruit in the same ways that you’d use any strawberries, whether that’s to make pies or smoothies or to eat them straight off the vine.

If you want to plant them, you’ll need to place the plants around 12 inches apart in rows. The rows should also be approximately 12 inches apart. Initially, the soil should be heavily fertilized and damp, but once they start to grow, they may not need much maintenance at all. They are great for suppressing weeds in gardens, so if you had a weed problem last growing season, consider placing some alpine strawberries down to fend off the garden from invaders.

When you harvest, don’t expect to get much. You may gather around a handful at a time. That’s not much, but they are perfect for smaller uses, like a topping for ice cream or for a small pie filling.

Learn more about growing alpine (wild) strawberries.

Are Alpine Strawberries Poisonous?

Alpine strawberries are not poisonous! In fact, they have a bold, sweet, aromatic flavor that might surprise you. Since they’re small, they have a lot of flavor in their fruit, which is perfect for a snack.

One thing you do have to watch out for, though, is the false strawberry. The so-called false wood strawberry or Indian strawberry is not necessarily dangerous, but it shouldn’t be considered safe to eat. The mock strawberry has yellow flowers and similar leaves to the alpine strawberry. However, the alpine strawberry has a white flower.

You can also identify false strawberries by their scent. A false strawberry will not smell if you crush it. If you crush a wild strawberry, it will have a strong strawberry scent.

Additionally, wild strawberries have fruit that dangles. If the fruit points up directly, then you’re probably looking at a false strawberry. The biggest issue between the two is that the false strawberry lacks flavor.

You should know that the false strawberry is considered to be a weed. The fruit is dry and lacks flavor, so it’s unlikely that you or your pets will enjoy eating them.

Most interestingly, the leaves of the false strawberry can be used effectively. The leaves are good in teas, and they have been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. They contain iron, vitamin C, protein, and other beneficial vitamins. The false strawberry leaves are known to help with burns, boils, snake bites, weeping eczema, and other issues.

Enjoy Alpine Strawberries

Alpine strawberries are interesting because they’re such a unique form of the plant. They’re an amazing find if you’re out foraging, and they’re fairly easy to grow as an ornamental plant or protector against weeds in your own garden.

It’s safe to say that Alpine strawberries are on the list of great wild finds. What do you think about them? Where have you seen them growing lately? Do you have any recipes you use them in? Comment below and let me know!

Learn everything about growing strawberries from the Strawberry Master Manual, also don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and Facebook to stay updated with everything I post. We also have a Strawberry gardening group on Facebook! Feel free to join.

More Strawberry Varieties

  • Alpine Yellow Wonder Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide
  • Seascape Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide
  • Ruby Ann Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide
  • Albion Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide (Fragaria x ananassa)

Sharing is caring!

3.0K shares
  • 3.0K

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Erik Hoffner website admin and strawberry gardener.

Hi, I'm Erik! Welcome to StrawberryPlants.org, your one-stop source for everything related to growing and enjoying strawberries! Here we are passionate about strawberry plants, strawberries, and everything related to this wondrous fruit.

More about me →

Follow Strawberry Plants

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
Strawberry Growing Manual eBook
Get The BEST Strawberry Growing Manual!

Start here:

· Growing Strawberries
· Strawbery Plant
· Buy Strawberry Plants (by variety)
· Strawberry Plants For Sale (by nursery)
· Strawberry Seeds
· Buy Strawberry Seeds (by variety)
· Strawberry Varieties
· Strawberry Picking
· Pick Your Own Strawberries
· Strawberry Nurseries
· Strawberry FAQ

Latest Strawberry Articles

  • Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie Bowl
  • Toscana Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide
  • Galletta Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide
  • Mara Des Bois Strawberry Variety Info And Grow Guide

Privacy Policy

About | Contact

Strawberryplants.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 · Strawberry Plants LLC.