White Soul Alpine Strawberry is an improved cultivar of the wild alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca) that brings decades of refinement to a delicate heirloom. This compact plant rarely exceeds 12 inches tall and produces small, creamy white fruits with an intensely aromatic character over an exceptionally long season from June through the first frost. Hardy in zones 3 through 9 and reaching harvest readiness in about 120 days, it's a genuine treasure for gardeners seeking year-round berries from a plant small enough to tuck into tight spaces.
8
Full Sun
Moderate
3-9
12in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The white fruit is remarkably bird-resistant compared to red strawberries, meaning you'll actually harvest more of the crop rather than watching it disappear. The flavor combines wild strawberry's complex tartness with surprising pineapple notes, creating something far more interesting than standard garden strawberries. Because plants are day-neutral and clumping, they produce continuously from spring through frost rather than in a single summer flush, and they're unusually cold-hardy, thriving in regions where other strawberries struggle.
These delicate berries shine as fresh garnishes and surprise trail snacks when plants are positioned along pathways where you can graze throughout the season. The aromatic white fruit works beautifully in fruit salads where its cream color and wild flavor profile create visual and culinary contrast with darker berries. Because the plant produces over such an extended season and in small quantities throughout that period, it's ideally suited to fresh eating rather than preserving; the joy is in discovering ripe berries scattered across your garden over months, not in harvesting enough for jam at a single moment.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds on the surface at 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprout timing ranges from 14 to 48 days, so be patient; don't assume seeds have failed for at least six weeks. You can start seeds indoors in late winter to early spring and transplant seedlings out after the last frost date in your zone.
Transplant outdoors after the last spring frost when seedlings are sturdy and established. Space plants 8 inches apart in soil that drains well and is enriched with organic matter. Harden off seedlings gradually to full sun conditions over 7 to 10 days before final planting.
Surface sow directly where you want plants to grow in spring after the last frost. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged until seedlings establish.
Pick berries when they turn fully white or cream-colored and feel soft to the touch, indicating peak ripeness. Because plants produce continuously from June through September and beyond until frost, check plants every two to three days during the growing season; berries ripen quickly once mature. The small size means each berry is just a few bites, perfect for sampling directly from the plant.
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“White Soul represents generations of selection work within the alpine strawberry family. As an improved form of the species Fragaria vesca, it carries forward centuries of cultivation that transformed wild woodland strawberries into productive garden plants while retaining their delicate flavor and hardiness. The catalog notes its similarity to 'Yellow Wonder,' suggesting it emerged from the same lineage of intentional breeding to develop white and pale-colored alpine varieties. This is a heirloom preserved and developed through careful selection rather than modern hybridization, carrying the DNA of strawberries that have fed European gardeners since medieval times.”