Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Vick, Albert F. W.

Waldsteinia fragarioides

Waldsteinia fragarioides (Michx.) Tratt.

Appalachian Barren Strawberry, Barren Strawberry

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: WAFR

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A low, strawberry-like plant with evergreen, basal leaves and several yellow flowers on a leafless stalk.

Although this plant is strawberry-like, the flowers are yellow and the fruit is neither fleshy nor edible at maturity. Lobed Strawberry (W. lobata), found along riverbanks in Georgia and the Carolinas, has lobed and toothed leaves and narrow, yellow petal

From the Image Gallery

1 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Achene , Aggregate
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.
Fruit: Aggregated achenes.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , GA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , ON , QC
Native Distribution: Ontario east to New Brunswick, south to Georgia, west to Tennessee and Arkansas, and north to Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Woods, thickets, and clearings.

Growing Conditions

Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Woodland ground cover does well in dry conditions.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Clump Division , Seeds

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Possible ground covers under pine trees in Illinois
April 18, 2006
Have pine trees in front of house. No luck with the lawn around them....was told it's because of ground acidity. Any tips on how to get a lawn to grow there? If not, can you suggest some ground cover...
view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY

Bibliography

Bibref 928 - 100 easy-to-grow native plants for Canadian gardens (2005) Johnson, L.; A. Leyerle
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Waldsteinia fragarioides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Waldsteinia fragarioides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Waldsteinia fragarioides

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-11
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back