Fragaria nilgerrensis ex. Mount Emei, China Wild White Strawberry
30 seeds per packet.
The seeds offered come from plants grown from seeds originally collected on Mount Emei in Sichuan, China. A wild species of Strawberry that is rare in cultivation and is native to meadows on mountain slopes and the valley forests of China, Taiwan, east India and north Vietnam. It is a ground covering plant spreading via runners with typical strawberry foliage and small, attractive, edible, white and pale pink fruits. The fruits have a peach-like fragrance and taste. An excellent plant for ground cover. Flowering early summer and fruits from July to August. Height 15 to 25 cm. Sun to part shade in any well-drained, moisture retentive soil.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from autumn to early spring. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot outdoors or in cold frame over winter. Seeds germinate in spring.
Alternatively, if seeds can’t be sown in autumn or early spring use the following method: mix seeds with damp vermiculite and place inside a ziplock bag, keep bag somewhere warm for 3 weeks, then place in fridge (not freezer) for 8 weeks. Next spread mixture on top of a pot, thinly cover with compost or grit and keep warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots for growing on.