Pineberries

[Lady Lilya]

They are definitely smaller than average strawberries.  And a bit longer in the proportions.  They are sweeter than regular ones too.

I know they must be able to grow from seed, since they have been growing in spots in my parents' yard, where runners could not have reached (especially without being noticed). 

[Dame]

Wild strawberries are perenials, even in this climate.

[Wellspring]

Oh my, LL, I do hope you have enough seeds to go around and the time to disperse them.  I certainly will promise to grow them out and then pass them on myself.  Again, I don't mind helping you out by sending some to The Future as well as Atash, unless Atash is interested in the dispersal.  Since they aren't available in the States yet, so far, you seem to be our only source.

[Wellspring]

there's seems to be some debate about these so-called Pineberries.  Looks like this "pineberry" is the White Pine strawberry culture.

read on:  http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-marketwatch-20100416,0,4470304.story

excerpt from LA Times article by David Karp, aka "The Fruit Detective"

"I doubt these "pineberries" will be exported to the United States any time soon, although it is not impossible; at least in the 1990s, there was one firm that imported fraises des bois to New York, and these are no more perishable.
Mike Wellik of www.thestrawberrystore.com (who has been in touch with Hans De Jongh) heard from a German strawberry expert, Brigitte Wachsmuth, that Hans' "pineberry" is actually 'White Pine.' Wellik has it (as well as the USDA in Corvallis, Ore. and at least two strawberry breeders whom I know) and could conceivably sell the plants. So you could grow it yourself."

Ahhh . . . here's a source for the "White Pine," but it's currently sold out:  http://www.thestrawberrystore.com/buyplants/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5&zenid=15f36ko7pstq2raagrdt378on6

Evidently, according to Mike Wellik of The Strawberry Store, Fragaria x ananassa ' White Carolina' AND Fragaria x ananassa 'White D' are both Pineberry cultures and they are currently available.

[Lady Lilya]

I know my parents bought them by catalogue in the US.  Probably over a decade ago.  I can't remember exactly. 

They were sold as Alpine Strawberries.  But I've looked those up, and they aren't necessarily white/yellow.  There are red ones too. 

[Dame]

My sucess rate on growing out strawberries from seed is dismal.  I need to wait until there are lots available.

[Lady Lilya]

Who wanted some of these?

My parents have been accumulating old dried-out berries for me.  But now they say they want to empty out the planter, and they said I can e-mail them addresses and they will mail out plants to my friends.  I don't know how many they have. 

They said there are enough of them spilled over into the garden that they aren't worried about giving away whole plants from the planter. 

[Atash Hagmahani]

I did, but someone gave me some yesterday! There were a number of others who did too though.

I'm going to take them elsewhere as the soil in my yard is full of root rot, which Strawberries are susceptible to. Then I think they will make more fruit and runners. I have some pink-flowered strawberries in a strawberry jar that do better than the ones in the raised bed. Probably helps that they are F1 hybrids and have some hybrid vigor.

[Wellspring]

I'd love some!

[Lady Lilya]

PM me your address so I can have them mail some.

[Dame]

Many, many thanks to LL's Dad.

I have three of four pineberry plants growing new leaves, and they look like they will be ready to harden off for a dormant period in another couple of weeks.  The fourth is still a maybe.  Given the time these plants were in the mail, they are really tough. 

[Lady Lilya]

I hadn't looked at mine for a few weeks.  I planted them in the ground and left them alone.  Yesterday I went out in the yard and while I was there I took a peek.  There are definitely new and perky leaves.  The old leaves shriveled up and are gone.  They had been yellowing the first few days after I planted them, and I had been wondering if enough would be left for the plant to do well.

Dad only sent me 2 plants. 

[Atash Hagmahani]

Strawberries (including pineberries) are hybrids between Frageria chiloensis var gigantea and F. virginiana. F. chiloensis grows along the beach from about British Columbia down to at least California, makes it to Hawaii, and shows up again along the Pacific coast in South America. It's usually a small, extremely prolific (it's all over my front yard), extremely evergreen plant. Does not lose any leaves in winter. Var gigantea is from a small area in Chile and is much larger than normal.

F. virginiana is widespread in the USA and Canada. I think it even naturally occurs within F. chiloensis territory. It is deciduous and very coldhardy. It was used to increase the coldhardiness of the hybrid.

Their more or less stable hybrid, the domesticated strawberry, has leaves that are typically neither entirely evergreen, nor usually entirely deciduous. It's sort of in-between ("semi-evergreen"). After a freeze it is likely to lose some older leaves. That might be what happened.

[Lady Lilya]

It wasn;t the freeze that did it.  We didn't have temps that cold until long after i planted it and stopped looking at it.  I guess it was the week in a box, and the half-assed planting job, and the neglect when it should have had a bit of pampering. 

But I am really amazed at how much abuse it took without being much bothered by it.

[The Future]

Mine experienced what I consider extreme neglect.  At least a week in a box due to a mix up.  All 3 are alive though.  I put 2 outdoors and kept one indoors due to extreme winds.  The outdoor ones survived the winds, one better than the other.  The indoor one did ok to begin with but leaves started to get brown edges then die.  I have it sitting outdoors still in the small pot now that the winds had subsided.  More gales predicted for this week but I think it is going to have to sink or swim from here on....very happy to have these...