If you are looking for guidance on which strawberry varieties will grow well where you live, you have come to the right place. Strawberry Plants .org has numerous resources that will help you find whatever it is that you need, as long as it is related to strawberries or strawberry plants. One of the most common problems a gardener encounters is finding an appropriate strawberry cultivar.
There are numerous strawberry varieties in existence. Finding the right one for your conditions can be difficult. The best place to start is likely to find which varieties are recommended for your state (see the recommended strawberry varieties page). But, if you want to just go with the flow, the varieties listed below are the most popular varieties offered by nurseries selling strawberry plants directly to the public.
Most Popular Strawberry Varieties
These strawberry varieties are the most popular strawberries sold nationwide in the United States. In order for a cultivar to be sold nationwide, it must be a tremendously hardy and adaptable plant. These varieties may not out-perform specific cultivars developed for and especially well-suited for your exact location. However, the chances of one of these top popular strawberry varieties doing well where you live is very high. The strawberries on this list should be safe bets for most locations. Without further ado, these are the top 10 broadly-adapted strawberry cultivars presently sold nationwide in the United States:
1. Honeoye
Honeoye strawberries are day-neutral June-bearing strawberries. They are early season producers and set large, firm, bright orange-red to red fruit. Strawberrieis from Honeoye plants tend to be of consistent size throughout the season. It is also one of the heaviest producers, which is why it ranks atop this list. Few, if any, strawberries can out-produce this variety for the average gardener. Honeoye is widely adapted, but its strawberries obtain their best flavor when grown in raised beds or lighter soils. Click here to buy Honeoye strawberry plants.
2. Earliglow
Earliglow is an aptly named June-bearing strawberry. It sets and ripens its fruit sooner than virtually every other strawberry variety available. It is the standard. The ripening times of other varieties typically are compared to Earliglow as reference (i.e. fruit from variety X ripens “five days after Earliglow”). Berry size is medium to large, although size tends to decrease toward the end of the season. The deep red berries themselves are very symmetrical, conical, and tough. They have excellent, sweet flavor and are a great choice for canning. They are also resistant to many common strawberry diseases. Click here to buy Earliglow strawberry plants.
3. Allstar
Allstar is a June-bearing strawberry that looks like the prototypical strawberry. Having an almost perfect strawberry shape, glossy red appearance, and good firmness makes it well-liked by gardeners far and wide. It also produces very large strawberries that only slightly diminish in size toward the end of its season. It is a late mid-season producer. It only takes 10-11 Allstar strawberries to fill a one-quart basket. Its mild but sweet flavor profile makes it ideal for fresh eating or freezing. Plants are vigorous and have good disease resistance. Click here to buy Allstar strawberry plants.
4. Ozark Beauty
Ozark Beauty is the most popular everbearing strawberry. Its popularity stems from its large yields of unusually large strawberries (for an everbearer). The red strawberries are sweet, but the most significant benefit of Ozark Beauty is its production profile. While June-bearers produce one early crop and then are finished, this everbearer produces a large early crop and a second crop later in the season with a few berries produced in between also. Click here to buy Ozark Beauty strawberry plants.
5. Chandler
For a detailed discussion of this June-bearing strawberry, see this profile page on Chandler strawberry plants. Click here to buy Chandler strawberry plants.
6. Jewel
Jewel strawberries are well-known as a good variety for both pick-your-own operations and fresh shipping due to its firmness and abrasion-resistant skin. Jewel strawberries are wide and large wedge-shaped berries. It is well known for its excellent flavor and high-quality. It is also a favorite for fresh markets due to its consumer appeal. It also has longer season yields. Click here to buy Jewel strawberry plants.
7. Seascape
Seascape is an everbearing strawberry variety that was initially developed for the California strawberry industry as a variety resistant to viral diseases common there. However, it has proven to be tolerant to early heat, requires less chilling, and even grows well on the East Coast. It is a dependable choice. Its fruit is large and conical to round with an attractive glossy red color. The strawberries are not just red on the outside, however. They are also bright red on the inside as well. It is one of the most reliable producers in the fall, and it even performs well in hot, dry climates. It produces fewer runners than the June-bearers. A drawback of Seascape plants is that it is patented. This means that it is technically illegal to propagate this variety. Click here to buy Seascape strawberry plants.
8. Tristar
Tristar is a day-neutral strawberry variety that is excellent for both fresh eating and freezing. The berries are firm, red, very sweet, and solid with no hollow cores. They are conical in shape but only medium-sized. A big advantage is their production pattern. They begin producing with a bang early, will produce all summer long as long as conditions are tolerable, and will increase production again in the late summer to fall as they produce maximally at that time. Runners from Tristar plants will flower and fruit even before rooting. They are an excellent choice for hanging baskets. Click here to buy Tristar strawberry plants.
9. Sparkle
Sparkle strawberries are a classic favorite and have been a popular strawberry variety for over 60 years. It is widely considered the best strawberry variety for making jam. It is an extremely vigorous variety that produces a high number of runners, so the strawberry bed must be monitored to ensure it doesn’t get too thick. Sparkle strawberries are medium-sized and ripen late. Planting Sparkle with other earlier varieties extends the fresh fruit season. Strawberries from Sparkle plants are deep red and have excellent flavor. Click here to buy Sparkle strawberry plants.
T10. Surecrop
Surecrop strawberries are aptly named. They are the surest bet for producing a good yield compared to all other June-bearers. The fruit is medium to large with good firmness that holds up to shipping. It is deeply red throughout, has yellow seeds, and produces irregularly-shaped berries initially which are followed by more uniform, short and round, conical strawberries. They are ideal for canning and are sweet with a bit of tartness. As the name indicates, this variety will do well virtually anywhere, even poor or dry soils. Click here to buy Surecrop strawberry plants.
T10. Fort Laramie
Fort Laramie strawberry plants are everbearers. They produce large to very fruits that are scarlet on the outside and dark pink to scarlet on the inside. This variety will produce blooms, berries, and runners simultaneously and is very cold hardy. Its strawberries have an exceptional aroma and a firm, honey-sweet flesh that makes them a great choice for fresh eating or processing. Fort Laramie is also a very good choice for growing hydroponic strawberries. Click here to buy Fort Laramie strawberry plants.
Most Popular Strawberry Plants: Conclusion
All of the varieties listed here are tried and true producers and hardy little plants to boot. They have an excellent track record of satisfied customers. Otherwise, they would not continue to be sold by nurseries across the U.S.A. Happy gardeners are happy customers. Happy customers make happy businesses. These strawberries make everyone happy. If you want to purchase other cultivars from a nursery you trust, you can do so on the Strawberry Plants for Sale page. Or, if you want to browse or compare prices on specific strawberry varieties, see the Buy Strawberry Plants page. Happy hunting!
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