Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Fort Laramie Strawberry: A Cold-Tough Everbearer for the North
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Fort Laramie strawberry is an everbearing strawberry known for exceptional winter hardiness. It has been reported to survive temperatures of -30°F, which makes it one of the most cold-tolerant everbearers you can plant. It produces large, glossy, sweet berries in several flushes and has excellent vigor.
It also makes plenty of runners, so a small planting fills out quickly into a productive bed. Like all strawberries, it loves full sun but wants richer, evenly moist soil than lavender, so it belongs in a raised bed or kitchen garden nearby.
Fort Laramie at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Fragaria × ananassa 'Fort Laramie' |
| Type | Everbearing |
| Fruit | Large, glossy, bright red, conical and sweet |
| Crops | Main crop in late spring, more through summer and into fall |
| Size | 6 to 8 inches tall, spreading by runners to about 3 feet |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Deer | Susceptible |
A berry patch near the lavender
Strawberries and lavender share a love of sun, and having both close together makes summer harvests easy: berries for the bowl, lavender for the sugar jar. Keep them in separate beds, though. Strawberries need steady water and rich soil, which would rot lavender crowns. A raised bed a few steps away works well, and blooming lavender nearby brings bees into the area while the strawberries flower.
Fort Laramie's runners make it a good groundcover-style planting in a dedicated bed or along the edge of a kitchen garden. Map your beds in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting bare root strawberries
Fort Laramie is offered as a bare root plant. Dig a hole deep enough for the roots to hang straight down, set the crown exactly level with the soil surface and firm the soil around it. Water well. See the product page for current availability.
Care for big berries
- Water: regularly, especially while fruit is forming. Fruiting slows in hot spells, so keep watering and mulching through summer.
- Straw mulch: keeps berries clean and reduces gray mold. Water at the base and space plants for air flow.
- Runners: let some root to fill the bed; snip extras to keep plants productive.
- Winter: even this hardy variety benefits from a straw mulch after the ground freezes, which helps prevent heaving.
- Renewal: replant with young runner plants and rotate beds every few years to avoid root diseases.
From patch to kitchen
The berries are excellent fresh, in desserts and jams, and for freezing. Pick them fully red, ideally in the cool of the morning, and refrigerate unwashed until you are ready to use them. Fort Laramie also grows well in containers if you keep the soil evenly moist.
Frequently asked questions
How is Fort Laramie different from other everbearers?
Its standout trait is cold hardiness. It is one of the most cold-tolerant everbearing strawberries, a good fit for northern gardens.
Will it spread?
Yes, it makes many runners, spreading to about 3 feet and filling a bed quickly.
Does it need winter protection?
It is very hardy, but a straw mulch after the ground freezes still helps protect crowns from heaving.
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