Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Tristan Strawberry: Pink Flowers and Sweet Berries in One Tidy Pot
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Tristan strawberry is the strawberry for people who like their plants to stay where they are put. It is a compact everbearer that makes few or no runners, with hot magenta-pink flowers sitting on top of glossy dark green leaves while small, bright red berries ripen underneath at the same time.
The berries are about an inch long, very aromatic and sugary sweet. The pink flowers are pretty enough that you could grow it just for those, though we doubt anyone has managed to leave the fruit alone.
Tristan at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Fragaria × ananassa 'Tristan' |
| Flowers | Hot magenta pink with golden centers, about 1 inch across |
| Fruit | Small, bright red, conical berries, about 1 inch long |
| Size | About 12 inches tall, 20 to 25 inches wide |
| Bloom | Early June onward, flowering and fruiting through summer |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Habit | Compact mound with few runners |
How it fits with lavender
Strawberries and lavender both want full sun, and both hate soggy soil. The difference is appetite. Strawberries need richer soil, steady moisture and a little feeding to keep fruiting, while lavender does best when it is left lean and on the dry side. Grown together in one bed, one of them always gets the wrong treatment.
So keep them as neighbors. A pot of Tristan on the patio table next to a pot of lavender, or a raised bed of strawberries a few steps from the lavender border, gives you the look of a kitchen garden without the compromise. Both bring in bees, and pink flowers next to purple spikes is a pleasant combination. The Companion Plant Planner can help sketch the layout.
Growing it well
- Soil: fertile, well-drained garden soil or a good potting mix.
- Planting depth: set the crown right at soil level. Too deep and it rots; too high and it dries out.
- Water: keep evenly moist. Pots dry out quickly in July, so check them often.
- Feeding: light, regular feeding keeps the flower and fruit cycle going.
- Heat: flowering slows in hot spells; mulch and steady water help it carry on.
- Humidity: rainy weather invites gray mold. Mulch with straw, space plants and water at the base.
Winter and the long run
In the ground, mulch with 2 to 4 inches of straw once the soil starts to freeze in late fall, then pull it back in spring when growth begins. Potted plants need a sheltered spot, such as an unheated garage, because roots in a container get much colder than roots in the ground. Rotating strawberry beds every few years helps keep root diseases down.
In the kitchen
The berries are excellent fresh, in desserts and jams, and for freezing. A bowl of Tristan berries with a pinch of culinary lavender sugar is a very good reason to grow both plants.
About the plug tray
Tristan is offered as a full 72-cell plug tray, enough for a market grower, a big patio container display or a long edging row. See the product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Will Tristan take over the garden with runners?
No. It makes few or no runners, which is why it suits pots and edging so well.
When does it fruit?
It is everbearing, so flowers and berries come together through the summer rather than in one June crop.
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