Strawberry Varieties


Order early, some supplies are limited.
Prices are subject to change.

Allstar--(US 4419 x MDVS 3184)--With an almost perfect strawberry shape, Allstar has become a major variety during the late mid-season time. The glossy firm fruit, which holds its size very well, is an excellent u-pick or home garden choice. Its orange/red color and delicate skin lessens its shipping potential. Allstar's vigor and resistance to red stele, verticillium wilt, moderate resistance to powdery mildew and leaf scorch, makes it suitable to almost any growing region and soil condition.

Annapolis--(Mimac x Raritan x Early Glo x Kent)--It's hard to BEAT the Annapolis! This berry is for an early producer of large fruit. It holds its size well through later harvests. Berries are light red and winter hardy. An excellent early season choice for u-pick farmers and fresh sales.

Cabot--(Patent Pending) This mid to late seasson berry produces HUGE fruit. Cabot is a newer release from Nova Scotia. It is winter hardy (zones 4-8) and shows good disease resistance but doesn't runner well, and may need closer planting to establish a good fruiting bed. Berries have good flavor, color and firmness. Even with the huge berries, the lower overall tonnage per acre limits Cabot to be recommended only for Northern area homeowners and direct market growers who can benefit from the very, very large size.

Cavendish--(Annapolis x Glooscap)(Patent #11,110) A high yielder with red stele resistance makes Cavandish an excellent choice for some growers. A very winter-hardy variety, it produces very large quality berries which are excellent for all uses. The great potential for this variety make it one of the new varieties that you need to try in your planting.

Chandler--(U.S. Plant Patent #5262)--This California release is finding itself adaptable to the East, using many different production systems including matted rows. A high yielding variety, it produces very large fruit, and appears to be well adapted to southern regions. It is recommended to be tried as a trial to test for California varieties in the eastern parts of the U.S.

Clancy--(Patent Pending) Finally another option for late season production with the first harvest mid to late June in New York. Clancy produces a large conical shaped dark red fruit with smooth texture and good eating quality. Plants show good winter hardiness for northeastern U.S. and upper Midwestern growing areas with Red Stele resistance. Clancy was tested as NYUS304B and was released by Cornell University in conjunction with the USDA breeding program in Beltsville, MD. Plant supplies are limited so order early.

Earliglow--(Fairland x Midland x Redglow x Surecrop)--Many consider Earliglow Berries to be the BEST FLAVORED of all the widely grown commercial varieties. It is the earliest producing, medium sized berry--with size decreasing greatly as the season progresses-making it difficult for u-pick farms to sell the later fruit. Even with its draw-backs, Earliglow is one of the most widely planted varieties in the Midwest and Northeast, largely due to its fantastic flavor!

Glooscap--(Micmac x Bounty)--A popular late mid-season variety which produces large, dark red, firm berries with excellent dessert quality. Its vigorous plant making and extreme winter hardiness makes it a FIRST CHOICE for northern regions. It shows hardy resistance to leaf spot and scorch, but unfortunately, it is susceptible to red stele. Glooscap was developed by plant breeders from Nova Scotia and therefore it is more adapted to cooler climates. It should be grown by both commercial growers and home gardeners in the upper Midwest and Canada.

Honeoye--(Vibrant x Holiday)--Fantastic yielder! This berry is a large fruit with a beautiful red color. It is firm, red clear through and is great for pies. A good fresh shipper and very winter hardy. Currently, the most popular PYO variety in the Midwest and Northeast. It's the leading producer in holding its size during the long harvest season. The Honeoye is best flavored when allowed to grow in lighter soils. Due to flavor considerations and lack of disease resistance, it is best to keep this variety on lighter soils or in raised beds.

Itasca--(Patent Pending) This release from MN is a winter hardy early season strawberry. This berry will ripen after Annapolis but before Honeoye. Itasca™ has conic wedge shaped berries which are medium to large with bright red color and intense classic strawbery flavor. The flesh is firm and Itasca should be good for PYO and local shipping. Tests have shown productivity is similar to Annapolis. Quantities are VERY limited for 2008 so be sure to order early.

Jewel---(Plant Patent #5897) (Senga Sengana x NY E4-58)--Of the newer varieties in today's Strawberry Industry, Jewel appears to be the BEST ALL AROUND variety. Good for u-pick, fresh shipping and longer season yields. It produces large, firm, wedge-shaped fruit of excellent color and quality. Jewel's firmness and abrasive resistant skin makes it less susceptible to fruit rots and ideal for shipping. A must for all serious growers!

Kent--(Redgauntlet x Tioga x Rasitac)--A winter-hardy variety from Canada with high yield potential producing large, good quality berries. Excellent for all seasons and above average flavor. Kent prides itself on very good plant vigor, but has no resistance to red stele or verticillium wilt.

L'Amour--(Patent Pending) A new mild season June bearing strawberry from Cornell University. L'Amour was tested as NY1829 and has Cavendish as a parent, producing large conical fruit with fancy calyx. The fruit is firm but not hard with good eating qualit and flavor and is good for direct sales as well as a wholesale. L'Amour should be winter hard throughout the upper MIdwest and northeastern U.S. Plant supplies are limited so order early.

Lateglow--(Tamella x MdUS 3184)--Released 1976, berries are very large, firm with a uniform, symmetrical shape. Great juicy sweet flavor with an outstanding aroma. Plants are vigorous and show excellent resistance to redstele and other root problems. Lateglow blooms late with All star and Guardian and usually ripens after them. Hardy to central Indiana, Ohio areas. If root diseases are a problem Lateglow could be a late season solution.

Mesabi--(MNSU 248) (Patented) This new release for the Northern growers should be a midseason winner. Mesabi produces large firm berries that are red all the way through with excellent flavor. Plants are very winter hardy and show excellent disease and root rot resistance. As with all new varieties, we recommend that you trial plant on a limited basis and get back to us with your results.

Northeastern--(Mdus 4380 x Holiday) This early variety ripens with Earliglow but with larger fruit and bigger yield. It can be grown even on heavy soils as it is resistant to the five eastern races of red stele, but is susceptible to powdery mildew. Northeastern will not runner as freely as Earliglow and should be adaptable as a u-pick fresh market or freezer berry for most northern growing regions. And, it has worked well in both hill and matted row systems.

Redchief--(NC 1768 x Surecrop)--Redchief is the old commercial standard variety for the commercial grower, and it is still one of the "BEST ALL AROUND" berries. Its hardiness and resistance to Red Stele makes it a consistent producer of medium to large firm fruit. Excellent variety for freezing and all commercial markets. Although it is still widely planted, it has been steadily replaced by Honeoye and Jewel for commercial planting.

Ovation--A new variety from the USDA in Beltsville, Maryland. Ovation is a late season, disease resistant variety producing large, bright red firm fruit. It has great aroma and a mild flavor. Ovation will perform in both matted rown and plastic cultures. Hardy in zones 4-8.

Sparkle--(Fairfax x Aberdeon) Home gardeners take note! This is the best variety for homemade jam and freezing. Its winter hardiness and late blooming characterisitcs make it ideal for home gardens and small commercial farms without frost protection. The soft medium-sized berry falls off to small as the season progresses. But these berries are the tastiest, smoothest textured berries you can find. Sparkle has been grown for years in the Midwest, but has lost favor wtih commercial growers because of its small berry size and soft fruit. It is still a long standing favorite with home gardeners who still actively plant it because it's the best you can grow for making preserves.

Surecrop--(Fairland x Mdus 1972) Home gardeners take note! This variety has become a favorite with the home gardener because its vigorous growth habits make it easy to grow and produce good crops in almost any growing region or soil type. Surecrop has red stele resistance furthering its adaptability. Good firm solid fruit make it good for fresh use or for the freezer. All things considered, Surecrop is a good time proven trustworthy garden variety--just like the name implies!

Day-neutrality is the key to this new type. These strawberries are REALLY everbearing. Because of their unique fruiting characteristics, day-neutral strawberries are adaptable to special uses. In areas with winters ordinarily too cold for strawberries, they can be grown as annuals. Three months after planting, you should begin to harvest berries, so plant them in early spring, pinch off flowers for two months, and then eat strawberries from July to frost. As they will flower and fruit irrespective of day length, you can use them as pot plants for winter.

Day-neutral strawberries are good for growing in containers. As they can fruit on unrooted runners, you could have attractive red strawberries cascading from a hanging basket. Day-neutrals require different systems and growing methods than June bearing strawberries.

All of the day-neutral varieties trace back to a wild strawberry found in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah by Dr. Royce Bringhurst of the University of California---Fragaria virginiana glauca. This wild plant was hybridized with cultivated strawberries to produce a plant known under the unexciting name of "Cal. 65.65-601". California breeders backcrossed "Cal. 65.65-601" to cultivated strawberries and obtained some day-neutral varieties, three of which were released in 1979: 'Aptos', 'Hecker' and 'Brighton'. In Maryland, breeders using the same "Cal. 65.65-601 produced some varieties that were disease resistant as well as day-neutral called 'Tribute' and 'Tristar'. These resist red stele, verticillium and powdery mildew; and tolerate leaf scorch but are not resistant. All are recommended for home planting.

Selva--(U.S. Plant Patent #5266)--It is the most widely planted variety in California and Florida. It produces HUGE berries which are seen in the grocery stores. When allowed to fully ripen on the plant, they can develop flavor. This California release has great yielding potential, however it decreases in the eastern U.S Although it was not developed for winter hardiness, it has been successfully grown in the Midwest.

Seascape--(Patent #7614)--A new variety from California released in 1992. Production capacity in eastern U.S. is still unknown. Very large, sweet, hardy, heavy producer.

Tribute--(EB18 x MdUS4258)--The Tribute's medium to large, firm fruit has made it the most popular of the eastern day-neutral varieties. It is one of the most successful varieties in commercial plantings. During the first year, Tribute will peak in September and the next year will bring forth a heavy spring crop. Ist is resistant to both red stele and verticillium wilt.

Tristar--(EB18 x MdU4258)--Produces medium to small flavorful fruit--a favorite with home gardeners desiring good dessert quality berries all season long. The first year, Tristar will give its late season peak of production earlier than Tribute. But, for a steady harvest of strawberries, both varieties should be planted. It is resistant to both red stele and verticillium wilt. Excellent for use in patio gardens and/or hanging baskets.

Quinault--(EVERBEARING) A newer everbearing variety that produces berries on unrooted runners. Good for potted everbearing strawberries. Makes excellent ground cover or border planting along walks or paths. Fruit is tasty and can be ready to eat in 4 to 5 weeks after planting.