Strawberry Plants That Bloom a Red Color

Fragaria

• Strawberries produce bright red berries and starry little white flowers. Most strawberries spread by stolens or above ground stems which root at internodes and create more plants. The fast growth rate and wide spreading habit make the plants of interest for ground covers. Strawberries will die back in cold weather but re-sprout in early spring. Each year provides more plants and berries. The family is easy to manage with no special cultural requirements except well-drained soil, plenty of water, fertilizer and sunshine. Each variety has slightly different situational requirements, so it is wise to research your variety for suitability in your landscape.

Lipstick

• The cultivar "Lipstick" is a cross with Fragaria and Potentilla and is an ornamental variety. It produces a red flower and creeps on stolens, forming a colorful spring to summer ground cover. The plant is hardy to United States Department of Agriculture zones 2 to 8 and provides perennial performance, year after year. This cultivar will bloom all summer and spreads quickly out to 20 inches. "Lipstick" can be grown in partial sun but the best flower production and color is in a full sun setting.

Red Ruby

• Fragaria "Red Ruby" doesn't bear true red blooms but they are a deep pink, almost red. The plants are mounding with the flowers crowning the top of the plant. Small red berries are tiny but full of flavor and the plant is versatile on a variety of soils and lighting conditions. Red Ruby spread wider than Lipstick out to 35 inches. The variety provides superior ground cover but also works well in containers or trailing from pots.

Red or Not?

• Some varieties are listed as red by nurseries but are actually tones of deep pink or rose. Among these are Roseberry and Rosalyne, which are hardy, disease and pest-resistant plants. They are crossed with a red flowering species to bring out the color in blooms. Tarpan creates a fountain affect and has deep rose flowers with large long berries. Tristan is another cultivar that has deep rose flowers with a moderate spreading habit and few runners.