Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is a favorite among perennial fruit crops due to its aromatic and flavorful berries. Strawberry plants do not produce a true berry, but rather an aggregate accessory fruit. Interestingly, the true fruits of strawberry are the tiny “seeds” that stud the red flesh. Modern strawberry is a cross between
F. virginiana and
F. chiloensis and are categorized as being June-bearing, day-neutral, or everbearing. June-bearing strawberries develop overwintering flower/fruit buds in the late summer/fall, when daylength shortens and temperatures begin to cool. These buds overwinter, flower, and fruit during a concentrated period in June the following year. Day-neutral strawberry develops flowers and fruits without regard for daylength and thereby have an extended period of harvest. Everbearing types are similar to day-neutrals, except their harvest season is limited to early and late summer.