groundcover
Beach strawberry
Fragaria chiloensis
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Beach strawberry is a fast-growing evergreen groundcover hardy in zones 7–10. Expect 3–6 in of height and 1–2 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.25 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect white flowers in March to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. It is native to California and the Pacific Northwest. Deer do eat it, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Fragaria chiloensis
- Plant type
- Groundcover, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Sandy, well-drained soil; tolerates coastal salt.
- Mature size
- 3–6 in tall × 1–2 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.25 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Mar–May · white
- Roles in a bed
- Edge
- Styles
- natural, cottage
- Deer resistance
- Low: deer eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists wild strawberry (Fragaria) non-toxic to dogs and cats.
- Native to
- California and Pacific Northwest
- Pot size and price
- 4-inch pot, typically $4–$8 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Mow or shear once a year in late winter to renew.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed lists; Cal-IPC inventory; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Beach strawberry, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Weeping redbud 'Ruby Falls'Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'small tree · zones 5–9
- Tufted hair grassDeschampsia cespitosaornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Bee balmMonarda didymaperennial · zones 4–9
- Western sword fernPolystichum munitumfern · zones 5–9
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'shrub · zones 3–8
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire'Cornus sericea 'Farrow'shrub · zones 3–7
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Beach strawberry: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants