Are Strawberries Considered Annual or Perennial Fruits?

Thinking of planting some strawberries but aren't sure if they are annuals or perennials? In this article, organic gardening expert Logan Hailey breaks down all the details of what to expect with this famous fruit, including what to expect with different varieties of strawberry. You'll learn everything you need to know about these popular fruits coming back year after year.

Types of Strawberries

Strawberries can appear the same, however, they can be grouped into types that fruit at different times including: day-neutral Strawberries, main-crop or summer Strawberries, ever-bearing Strawberries, and alpine or woodland Strawberries.

White Fruiting Strawberries

Red Fruiting Strawberries

Day-Neutral Strawberries

Day-neutral Strawberries are not influenced by the hours of sunlight in a day and can flower and fruit whenever temperatures are mild. These types of Strawberries don’t produce large berries. Varieties include ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’.

Main-Crop or Summer Strawberries

Main-crop or summer Strawberries produce the largest berries over several weeks. Different varieties of main crop-bearing Strawberries are also available that produce fruit at the beginning, middle or end of summer. The productivity of these strawberries tends to decrease after two years. Varieties include 'Joy' and 'Lowanna'.

Ever-Bearing Strawberries

Ever-bearing Strawberries (confusingly) don’t produce berries all year round and tend to have their peak fruiting period from late spring to mid-autumn. Varieties include 'Ruby Red' and 'Fresca'.

Alpine or Woodland Strawberries

Alpine or Woodland Strawberries

Yates Alpine Strawberry is an interesting European woodland-type strawberry. Also known as a wild strawberry, it’s a low-growing, compact runnerless variety that produces small tasty and fragrant berries. It’s rare to find Alpine Strawberries in the shops as they are very soft and have a short shelf life, so it’s only home growers that get to enjoy this delicious berry. Alpine Strawberries may not be large and showy, however, they are sweet and have a wonderful rich Strawberry aroma and the plants can fruit for many months.