Barren Strawberry 'ternata' (Waldsteinia)

1 bare root
£12.49
£12.49 each
3 bare roots
£26.99
£9.00 each
Save 28%
6 bare roots
£39.99
£6.67 each
Save 47%

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Despite its common name 'Barren Strawberry' and having leaves that look almost identical to a strawberry plant, Waldsteinia is not a true strawberry and belongs to a different genus within the Rosaceae (rose) family.

An outstanding evergreen ground cover perennial, Barren Strawberry is a tough, reliable, and incredibly useful garden plant. It forms a dense, weed-suppressing mat of attractive, strawberry-like leaves that are divided into three glossy, dark green leaflets. This handsome foliage remains lush and green throughout the year, often taking on attractive bronze tints in cold weather. In mid to late spring, the foliage is studded with a profusion of bright, cheerful, buttercup-yellow, five-petalled flowers. While it looks like a strawberry plant, it does not produce edible fruit, hence its common name. It is an exceptionally low-maintenance and versatile plant, perfect for carpeting the ground in difficult areas, such as dry shade under trees, or for covering sunny banks.

Botanical name Waldsteinia ternata
Flower colour Bright, buttercup-yellow
Established height 10-15 cm
Established spread 60+ cm
Plant spacing 5-7 plants per m²
Leaf colour Glossy, dark green
Habit Creeping, mat-forming
Life cycle Perennial
Hardiness Fully Hardy (H7)
Years to establish 1st-2nd year
Sunlight Full sun or partial shade or full shade
Position Exposed or sheltered
Suitable for Ground cover, Underplanting trees/shrubs, Banks, Border edging
Soil acidity Any
Soil moisture Well-drained or moist but well-drained
Soil type Loam, Sandy, Chalky, Clay
RHS Award (AGM) Yes
Growing skill Easy to grow
Pollinator-friendly Yes
Deer resistant Yes

Where to Plant:

Commonly known as Barren Strawberry, this is an exceptionally tough and useful evergreen groundcover plant. It forms a dense, weed-suppressing mat of strawberry-like leaves and produces cheerful, bright yellow flowers in the spring. Its greatest virtue is its ability to thrive in difficult positions, including the dry shade found under trees and large shrubs, although it will also grow happily in full sun. It is perfect for covering bare ground on slopes, in shady borders, or as an underplanting.

How to Plant:

Plant pot-grown specimens at any time of year, provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Dig a hole just large enough to accommodate the rootball. Place the plant in the hole so that it sits at the same depth as it was in its pot. Fill in around the plant with soil, firm it down with your hands, and give it a thorough watering to help it establish. Space plants about 30-45cm apart; they will spread via runners to fill the gaps.

Aftercare:

This is an incredibly low-maintenance plant. Once it is established, it is very drought-tolerant and requires almost no attention. There is no need for feeding or regular pruning. In the spring, you can give it a quick tidy by removing any old or dead leaves to make way for the fresh new growth, but this is not essential. It is a robust and reliable problem-solver for difficult parts of the garden.

Planting and Flowering Calendar

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Key Features

Packed in paper

Packed peat-free

Great for Shade

Attracts wildlife

Drought tolerant

Low maintenance

RHS Award (AGM)

Waldsteinia ternata - Harding & Bloom

Barren Strawberry 'ternata' (Waldsteinia)

£12.49

£12.49

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