Fragaria vesca f. alba

White Wild Strawberry Rosaceae

A charming botanical oddity and one of the oldest strawberry curiosities in European cultivation. Fragaria vesca f. alba, historically known as ‘Fructu-albo’, is the white-fruited form of our native Woodland Strawberry. It produces neat, spreading mats of fresh-green trifoliate leaves, sending out runners which gradually form an excellent edible groundcover. From late spring, small white flowers give way to highly aromatic fruits which ripen to creamy white, often retaining the red-brown achenes that make them look rather like tiny, exotic strawberries.

The white-fruited form has been known in Europe since at least the 16th century, and was illustrated and discussed by early botanical writers including Hieronymus Bock and Conrad Gesner. Antoine Nicolas Duchesne documented the white-fruited strawberry in 1766, giving it a distinguished place in strawberry history.

Despite their curious appearance, the fruits possess the intense fragrance and sweetness for which wild strawberries are famous. They are best eaten fresh from the plant, added to desserts or used as an unusual garnish. The pale fruits may also be somewhat less conspicuous to birds — giving the gardener a sporting chance.

For an Edulis catalogue, we prefer the botanically defensible name Fragaria vesca f. alba; ‘Fructu-albo’ is retained as a historical horticultural name. Kew currently treats the form as a synonym within F. vesca subsp. vesca.

Height: 10–15cm
Spread: 30–60cm
Fruit: June–September
Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C)
Best conditions: Sun or partial shade; fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil with reasonable moisture.

White strawberries, wild-strawberry perfume and several centuries of botanical intrigue — proof that good things need not always turn red.