Where are you located? What are the soil and light conditions where you want to plant them? Pictures of the area....? What else is growing there or nearby?

I have grown the runnerless alpine strawberries in various areas in the garden and am planning on planting a number of them as groundcover in a small bed next spring. I’m not sure whether it might be too shady there for them but will give it a try and see how they do! I am in Canada and will get my plants and some seeds from here.

I have fond memories of picking wild strawberries in my maternal grandparents’ pastures for eating fresh, Grandma to cook shortcake, and her to make jam with! I don’t have pasture-like conditions anywhere here but the alpine ones have done well for me wherever it is sunny enough for them.

Good luck.

I am in Texas & they popped up in a bed of mine. They spread like wild fire. I would not want anything that invasive.

I tried wild strawberries - those that do not have runners. I thought they might be a substitute for regular strawberries but we found they didn't produce a large enough or abundant enough fruit to make them worth it. But if you don't care about that, if they won't have the opportunity to invade an area you don't want them in, if they are free as you said, maybe it would work for you in your situation.

I wouldn't consider them invasive per se. And they are not difficult to get out if you need to. They don't keep coming back on you like some invasive ground covers do. One other thing to consider is, will they provide food for wild life? Which wild life? Mice? chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels? I don't really know the answer...maybe it's birds. Just a thought that you might want to check out who eats them and do you want to provide food for that creature, or creatures.

I have them and not by choice. They apparently came in with purchased plants or dirts or mulches like several other types of invasive species I now have. They have a tremendous root system and they travel everywhere underground and by the berries spread by birds. I'd like to get rid of them completely. Interesting note - when I had actual strawberry plants I had chipmunks. After I no longer had strawberries, no chipmunks. I have these invasive wild strawberries now and guess what I have back? Yep - chipmunks!

Neither Fragaria vesca (wild strawberry) or Fragaria chiloensis (beach strawberry) make very efficient groundcovers, although they are often sold for that purpose. They both spread rapidly but quite loosely so seldom cover densely enough to provide much in the way of weed suppression.

I have Fragaria vesca popping up here and there in my garden beds and lawn completely uninvited and if I am not diligent about removing them, they DO spread very aggressively. And they rarely flower or fruit for me.

Depending on your zone, I'd suggest creeping raspberry, Rubus hayata-koidzumi (previously known as Rubus calycinoides). Fully evergreen and forms a dense mat that is excellent in deterring weed development. Produces a strawberry-like flowers and sometimes a golden-orange edible fruit.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I'm gathering info until March/April and will make a decision about what to do.

I don't know what type of strawberry I have growing in a confined area but it's successful covering the ground and suppressing weeds. It's also tidy when fully covering an area.

I'm in zone 7b not far from the Atlantic ocean. Our 3/4 acre property is sandy. That combined with a high iron content in the abundant well water allows plants to grow so fast you can watch them. (I had to cut grass very 2-3 days this year).

Because of my large area the quick spreading strawberry that I already have to propagate is appealing, plus it won't have to be mowed.

We'll see.

Thanks again!

Dear author! How did your transplanting go? I too have them growing in my yard and it’s lovely ground cover!

Hello,

Sorry for delayed response.

I decided I didnt need to transplant. I already have an abundance of wild strawberries where I want/need them and they have been filling in nicely.

I like the way they take over difficult areas and choke out unwanted plants. Plus they are easy to care for, and free.

My property is large, 3/4 acre and very harsh for a number of reasons. Whatever works that's free is my kind of plant plus the wildlife like them.