Woodland Strawberry is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a native strawberry, and it has been crossbred with the European variety to produce the strawberries we farm and eat today. The strawberries that it produces are very small and more fit for wildlife than for human consumption, though they are tasty. Like Heuchera, Woodland Strawberry needs shade. It will fry if it receives too much sun. In Southern California, give it extra water by putting it on its own irrigation zone or hand watering it an extra run or two.

In my sideyard, Woodland Strawberry works okay but it isn’t on it’s own irrigation valve and it tends to look very dry during the summer. Our windows also reflect a ton of sun into the sideyard, and that reflected sunlight burns the leaves. We’ll see if it comes back. Take into account your microclimate. It’s a true understory plant so give it something to grow under and watch it go. Spreads quite readily in richer soils— mine came from a total of six plants.

Interestingly I have both Beach Strawberry and Woodland Strawberry in my side yard, and it looks to me that the Woodland Strawberry does a bit better.

Calscape