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Home » Strawberry Varieties

Fairfax Strawberry Plants

Modified: Feb 8, 2022 by Mr. Strawberry · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

Many people have fond memories of eating strawberries as children on the knees of their grandparents or sneaking a few berries as they filled their baskets from the local pick-your-own strawberry farm.  Back during the “good ol’ days” the primary way people enjoyed strawberries was by picking them from their own gardens, picking them from a local farm, or buying them from a local farmer who either picked or had his help pick them for market.

Three strawberry sapling in wooden deck

Each month I have people write and ask how to find the “old” varieties of strawberries that their grandparents grew.  They testify that the new varieties just don’t seem to match their memories of the strawberries they so enjoyed during those bygone days.  The explosive strawberry flavor they remember just can’t be matched by the modern strawberries they buy off the shelf; and, they can’t even get the same flavor by growing their own strawberries from the commercially available varieties available online or at local nurseries.

Well, I’m happy to be able to let everyone know that old-fashioned is back…

Jump to:
  • Fairfax Strawberry Plants Are Back!
  • Fairfax Strawberries: A Brief History
  • Attributes of the Fairfax Strawberry
  • Buy Fairfax Strawberry Plants Again

Fairfax Strawberry Plants Are Back!

Strawberry plant with ripe and unripe fruits lying in mulch

I’ve had countless requests for information on and requests for buying Fairfax strawberry plants throughout the years.  People in their 60s and 70s who remember the Fairfax strawberries they consumed in years past ask for them by name regularly.  Many more ask about old varieties that they loved, but can’t remember their names.  Fairfax is probably one of those varieties they are missing.

Mike Wellik, owner of The Strawberry Store in Middletown, Deleware, undertook the somewhat daunting task of re-introducing the beloved Fairfax strawberry variety to gardeners and enthusiasts.  Mr. Wellik specializes in producing gourmet strawberry plants for hobbyists, green thumbs, and culinary masters who need only the finest aromas and flavors in their preparations.  As such, he was well-equipped to tackle the project.  But, before getting to the latest developments and recent history, a bit of background information is in order…

Fairfax Strawberries: A Brief History

Fairfax strawberries are a specific heirloom hybrid strawberry.  They were selectively bred by the renowned strawberry breeder Dr. George M. Darrow in 1923, selected in 1925, and released in 1933.  Shortly thereafter, they became quite popular due to the excellent flavor profile they possess and found their way into the maws of many hungry children and adults (thus forming those memories aforementioned!).  Their success led them to be used in further breeding programs, and their genetic composition has contributed parentage to numerous later strawberry varieties, many of which are readily available today, the most notable of which are as follows: Ozark Beauty, Surecrop, and Ogallala.  Although the parentage of Fairfax strawberry plants themselves is uncertain, Dr. Darrow believed Fairfax parentage was probably Etters 450 x Howard 17 (Pre-mier) or Howard Supreme x Etters 450.

There were a few problems with the Fairfax strawberry variety, however, at least as far as commercial strawberry farming goes.  While Fairfax strawberry plants produce berries that are arguably the best-tasting of all the Fragaria x ananassa hybrids, great taste isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to profiting from the sale of large-scale production of strawberries.  Durability of the Fairfax strawberry plants and their strawberries posed some problems.

Close shot of strawberry plant in soil with ripe and unripe fruits

Fairfax strawberry plants are not as fully disease resistant as some of the modern cultivars are.  If you are a farmer planting acres upon acres of strawberries, reducing the risk of infection by pathogenic fungus or other opportunistic entity is a must.  While this concern is much smaller for gardeners and enthusiasts, the Big Boys drive development of new strawberry breeds, and everyone else usually adopts the varieties they do over time.  With today’s global market and coast-to-coast shipping within the United States, most people no longer pick produce and eat it the same day.  Agricultural experts grow the produce, process it, pack it, ship it to the stores.  Then, store personnel receive it, stock it, and finally sell it to you and me.  We take it home, refrigerate it, and then finally use it.  That is a whole lot of moving and shaking!  Fairfax strawberries themselves have a softer and delicious texture, but this makes them more prone to bruising and damage during the picking/packing/shipping steps.  Berries that don’t ship well don’t sell well at grocery stores.  So, with the changing demands of commerce, Fairfax strawberry plants fell out of favor with growers in favor of more robust, but often less flavorful, cultivars.

As newer, more robust, higher volume varieties gained more and more traction, the “noble grandfather” Fairfax strawberry plants were phased out of commercial production and eventually died off or were replaced with the latest highly-touted varieties that emerged from breeding programs around the country.  As stock dwindled, so did availability.  Eventually, the Fairfax strawberries essentially disappeared.  A supply of Fairfax strawberry plants couldn’t even be found through the internet.  All that existed were hints, myths, and anecdotes of the legendary flavor contained within the scion of Fairfax…until now, that is.

Attributes of the Fairfax Strawberry

The most notable attribute of Fairfax strawberries is their unrivaled taste.  It is eminently flavorful.  Cool, cloudy weather and hot, windy weather can diminish its flavor slightly, however.  The flowers of Fairfax strawberry plants produce a very large amount of pollen, which might partially explain its flavor.  The variety is resistant to leaf spot and other leaf diseases, but is susceptible to red stele root disease and virus infections.  The berries are very low acid which makes the less suitable for freezing, but their fresh eating and dessert quality is unsurpassed.

Fairfax strawberry plants produce a moderate amount of good-sized, deep red strawberries.  Fairfax strawberries turn purplish when overripe.

Buy Fairfax Strawberry Plants Again

Strawberry saplings in small pots next to eatch other

As mentioned above, Mr. Wellik has served the heirloom enthusiast community well by laboring to bring Fairfax strawberry plants back to the marketplace.  It wasn’t easy, and the journey is into its 5th year as of this writing in the latter half of 2015.  Mr. Wellik located a pure source of Fairfax strawberry plants at the USDA Agricultural Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon, where they maintain the National Clonal Germplasm Repository over 4 years ago.  He then requested material from the USDA-ARS, and about a year later received two unrooted runner plants in late September.  Due to the state of the plants, they had to be rooted and then kept indoors all winter.  The following spring, they were found to be infected by a virus and had to be destroyed.  Later that year, another individual was directed to the USDA-ARS by Mr. Wellik and likewise obtained Fairfax strawberry plants from them.  They survived, reproduced, and Mr. Wellik obtained four rooted runners from this sample this past spring.  From that initial handful of plants, he has applied his extensive knowledge of strawberry reproduction and care and now has hundreds of rooted Fairfax strawberry plants.

And, fortunately for everyone, they will be available for sale soon!  To sign up for the waiting list, be sure to visit Mr. Wellik’s page and put your name on the list.  The plants will be more expensive initially due to the very limited number and the length of time and expense involved with the development.  But, Fairfax strawberries are at the top of the list for the best-tasting hybrid fruit in existence.

The flavor is exceptional, the stuff of legends.  It is an ideal choice for home gardens and pick-your-own operations, but likely won’t be able to carve out a niche for itself in the large-scale, commercial market for the factors already discussed above.  Fairfax strawberry plants produce a moderate number of strawberries and a moderate number of runners.

It isn’t often that the reality proves to excel the legend, but Mr. Wellik’s leap of faith has paid flavorful dividends already.  He testifies, “This spring is the first time I tasted fruit from Fairfax. The claims of it being the best tasting strawberry ever bred is without a doubt true. Very mild, very low acid. Impossible to describe and impossible to forget once you’ve tasted.”

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.

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Comments

  1. james Schram

    September 24, 2024 at 1:28 pm

    Been on the waiting list for years but last Spring Mr. Wellik cut loose four of Fairfax for me at a remarkably reasonable price. They came in bullet proof packaging in astonishingly good condition. I placed each plant in a 30 gallon pot. Since then each plant conquered its pot with vigorous naughty daughters running away from home as runners by climbing over the edge of the on their way to conquer the world!

    Healthy vigorous plants, excellent packaging, exceptional vendor.

    Reply
    • Valerie Ahlgren

      January 05, 2025 at 1:07 pm

      How do you sign up to buy Fairfax strawberry plants? I signed up years ago, but never heard back. Thanks for any help. I had them years ago, and nothing compares. Thanks.

      Reply
  2. Bonnie Smith Ginn

    March 16, 2024 at 12:06 pm

    Are there places you know of that sell these brand of strawberries I couldn’t find a link. I live In Georgia 30542.

    Reply
    • Mary Ward

      March 26, 2024 at 11:28 am

      It is hard to find. One of those, I suspect, that isn’t popular as a commercial variety so it’s tough to locate. But those are often the best varieties for home growers who don’t need a berry that ships across the country like a piece of cardboard!

      This site lists them but they’re out of stock. Maybe sign up for notifications?
      https://ediblelandscaping.com/products/fairfax-strawberry?variant=41792279380137

      Nourse has a cross called Sparkle, but that is also out of stock.
      https://noursefarms.com/product/sparkle/

      Reply
  3. WILLIAM BOYKO

    July 17, 2023 at 10:34 am

    Are there any sources of Fairfax in Canada? f not can they be shipped from the Staes?

    Reply
    • Mary Ward

      July 17, 2023 at 12:25 pm

      You’d have to check with the nursery to see if that’s possible. Customs regulations may prevent it.

      Reply
  4. Cheryl Bates

    April 02, 2022 at 10:01 am

    I would like to ask where you purchased your fairfax plants. Im looking to buy some for myself and my mother. We had this strawberry when i was very young and made the most wonderful perserves. Thank you and enjoy your strawberries.

    Reply
  5. Jean Merl

    April 09, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    Your website is amazing! I am just getting started growing strawberries in a raised garden bed at my Southern California coastal home. What a treasure trove of information you provide! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  6. Julie A Herman

    July 13, 2020 at 10:19 pm

    I received my “Fairfax” Strawberry plants last summer (2019). I am in zone 4 (Wisconsin) and they survived the winter beautifully! They are having babies like crazy and we ate our first crops of small berries this summer (2020). I am assuming that the “older” the plants get, the bigger the berries will become?? The berries this year were so sweet and tender, but no bigger than a nickel to a few that were quarter size… so I am learning as I go…! 🙂

    Reply
  7. ann

    June 26, 2020 at 12:44 am

    Rather excited about the Fairfax, but in 2007 I tasted USA grown strawberries in Jan. in Mississippi and they were amazing. I talked to my Dad who had farmed 1/2 his life and he said that he remembered people talking about winter strawberries when he was growing up…any idea what type of strawberry would grow and be ripe in Jan. in the deep south? They didn’t sell well, but we bought as many boxes as we could possibly eat they were just amazing flavor…small fruits. Wonder if they could be Fairfax?

    Reply
    • Drehne

      January 30, 2021 at 8:28 pm

      Hi Ann,

      Are you selling any “Fairfax” plants or know where I can get any? I am in Southern Missouri.

      Drehne

      Reply
  8. Teresa Root

    April 20, 2019 at 10:50 am

    My Dad is looking for the Dunlap variety that my grandmother used to grow. Any Help?

    Reply
  9. Mark Ford

    June 16, 2016 at 2:49 pm

    Does anyone know what zones Fairfax do well in? I am not a commercial grower, just interested in plants for my garden. I am in Zone 8B.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      June 16, 2016 at 3:20 pm

      Mark Ford,
      Fairfax should grow adequately in your zone. The major problem will be pathogenic infection. If you can keep the fungus as bay, you can do well. Good luck!

      Reply
    • Jack

      November 05, 2019 at 9:28 am

      In disease-prone areas, you might do better just growing the in pots in some fresh potting soil. I’ve grown Elizabeth blueberry here in middle Georgia, which doesn’t really do well here, because this area is very hot and humid, and northern highbush blueberry plants are prone to disease. So I planted one in the ground, and some in pots. The one in the ground did poorly, and was heavily diseased. The ones the pots did much better. Perhaps strawberries would also fare better if grown in pots.

      Reply
  10. Roland curtis

    May 31, 2016 at 11:58 pm

    I have been growing Fairfax strawberry plants for some years. They were given to me by a good friend. He said don’t loose these you can not buy them any longer. He has been growing them for many many years. We are both 77. I live near Coeur d’ Alene Idaho

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      June 01, 2016 at 12:50 pm

      Roland curtis,
      Great! They used to be one of the most popular varieties!

      Reply
    • Mark

      February 13, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      Are you still growing Fairfax strawberries?
      I live just above you in British Columbia

      Reply
  11. Fran Dallmann

    May 12, 2016 at 5:39 am

    Here in Germany somebody is looking for the “old” type strawberry call BROM –
    a very dark coloured type close to brown.
    Does that sound familiar to you?
    Thanks for your answer.
    Fran

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      May 13, 2016 at 4:48 pm

      Fran Dallmann,
      Unfortunately, I am not familiar with that variety! Sorry!

      Reply
  12. James Horton

    October 21, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    I would like purchasing information on the Fairfax. Availability and price?
    Thank you,

    Jim Horton

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      October 22, 2015 at 9:01 am

      James Horton,
      As of now, they are only available commercially through Mr. Wellik at the link above. Clicking that link will take you to his page where information about availability and cost can be pursued. Good luck!

      Reply

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