Strawberries everywhere! I didn't plant then!

Solair

I'm just wondering if this is something that anyone rise has experienced.

We've a run if flower beds along the front driveway.
A few weeks ago a large area of green plants with white flowers appeared and I assumed they were weeds but because if the bad weather didn't get a chance to pull them out.

I then noticed they looked a bit like strawberry plants but wasn't entirely certain.

I checked again and sure enough, there are now strawberries forming on the flower heads!

There are at least 100 plants!!! I'm really amazed they'd grow wild and so aggressively. They're literally occupying about 1/3 of the beds and even growing in cracks in the driveway.

Have we been invaded with some kind if super strawberry? Or is this completely normal?

paddy147

A blender and some yogurt,milk and ice and you will quite possibly have lots of lovely fresh strawberry smoothies for the summer.

redser7

Did you have any strawberry plants in your garden before and if so what type were they?
If not, chances are they are alpine strawberries. They freely reseed themselves and can spread very easily. Lucky you. Thing about alpines is that the fruit tends to be small, not like what you would be used to dipping in cream But the taste is often much more intense. More of a grazing strawberry than the sink your teeth into variety.

Solair

I'm still wondering where they sprung up from though! One or two, I could understand but this is ridiculous lol! I could take up strawberry farming!

redser7

Seed could have dropped into your garden, on the wind, in bird poo, dog poo. If they are alpines they really do spread easily and fast.

Solair

Couple of hundred of them ! Just did a rough count lol

Sgt Pepper 64

Solair wrote: »

Couple of hundred of them ! Just did a rough count lol

Yes they are probably small alpine like ones.
The fruits are small and bitter

kylith

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Yes they are probably small alpine like ones.
The fruits are small and bitter

I've never found the fruit on alpines bitter. I'd say that it's all the taste molecules of a big strawb condensed down into a tiny package; very sweet and very strawberry-y. I keep meaning to pinch some of my brother's plants.

Solair

Just as long as they're not some deadly strawberry look-alike !

looksee

While your situation does seem a bit extreme, I agree that they are probably wild strawberries. just leave yourself a few well placed ones and you will be nibbling on tiny sweet strawberries - they fruit and flower at the same time - till October. My grandchildren love to go exploring for strawberries!