Wild Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Found in grasslands, roadsides, pastures, woodlands, grassy balds. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
81
Keystone
Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 94%
- Height
- 4–9 inches
- Spread
- 1–2 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Semi-evergreen
- Bloom
- Spring
Recorded in 102 Virginia counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
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Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
75CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Fragaria
- Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
- Abagrotis anchocelioidesBlueberry Budworm Moth
- Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
- Acrolophus arcanellaGrass Tubeworm Moth
- Acrolophus plumifrontellaEastern Grass Tubeworm
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
- Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
- Amphipoea interoceanicaStrawberry Cutworm, Interoceanic Ear Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Show all 75
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Ancylis floridanaStrawberry Leafroller
- Ancylis muricanaRed-Headed Ancylis
- Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
- Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
- Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Clepsis peritanaGarden Tortrix
- Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
- Coelostathma discopunctanaThe Batman Moth
- Diaphania hyalinataMelonworm Moth
- Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
- Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
- Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
- Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
- Eucirroedia pampinaScalloped Sallow
- Eueretagrotis attentusAttentive Dart
- Eueretagrotis perattentusTwo-Spot Dart
- Eupsilia morrisoniMorrison's Sallow
- Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
- Euxoa detersaRubbed Dart, Sandhill Cutworm
- Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
- Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
- Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
- Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
- Geina tenuidactylaHimmelman's Plume Moth
- Haploa colonaColona Moth
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
- Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
- Lobocleta ossulariaDrab Brown Wave
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
- Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
- Monochroa absconditellaStrawberry Crown Miner
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
- Olethreutes olivaceanaOlivaceous Olethreutes
- Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Proxenus mirandaMiranda Moth, Glistening Rustic
- Pyrgus centaureaeGrizzled Skipper
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
- Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
- Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
- Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
- Coleophora rupestrella
- Xenotemna pallorana
7BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Fragaria
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Fragaria
- Andrena melanochroa
14BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Fragaria
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
- Catharus fuscescensVeery
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Cyanocitta stelleriSteller's Jay
- Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
- Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
- Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
Show all 14
- Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 5a–9b
- Flower color
- White
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Spring” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Hardiness · “Zones 5a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
- Height · “4–9 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Leaves · “Semi-evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- primary_flower_color · “white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
- Spread · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Virginia Strawberry
Conservation status
| Virginia rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Growing cautions
- Spreads by runners. Spreads indefinitely by rooting runners into large colonies. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox
For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications