Plant Data Sheet

 

Fragaria chiloensis, Beach Strawberry

 

Range

Found along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California and the beaches and inland areas of coastal Chile.

 

Climate, elevation

Maritime, coastal climate. Found below 200 meters. 

 

Dana Visalli

 

Local occurrence (where, how common): Found along the Washington coast and along the shore of some Puget Sound Islands.

 

Habitat preferences

Sand dunes and sea bluffs. Full sun on coast, sun or partial shade inland.

 

Plant strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator, competitor, weedy/colonizer, seral, late successional)

Drought and salt resistant. Competitive in disturbed sites. Mid successional.

 

Associated species

Plantago maritima, Potentilla villosa, Fritillaria camschatcensis, Gaultheria shallon, and Picea sitchensis. 

 

May be collected as: (seed, layered, divisions, etc.)

Stolons/plantlets, fruit to collect seed.

 

Collection restrictions or guidelines

Collect as mature red fruit. Seed is dark brown at maturity. Stolons with plantlets are collected between September 15th and November 15th.

 

Seed germination (needs dormancy breaking?)

Seeds are soaked for 24 hours and stratified for 21 days. Stratification may not be necessary. Germination can take 4 weeks in a greenhouse.

 

Seed life (can be stored, short shelf-life, long shelf-life)

Long shelf-life. 

Recommended seed storage conditions

Seeds to be kept dry and stored in a cold room. 

 

Propagation recommendations (plant seeds, vegetative parts, cuttings, etc.)

Sow seed in early spring in a greenhouse.  Cuttings should be treated with rooting hormone, kept moist and kept on a heated bench until roots are developed. 

 

Soil or medium requirements (inoculum necessary?)

Cuttings in a 3:1 perlite/vermiculite mix.

 

Installation form (form, potential for successful outcomes, cost)

Bareroot.

 

Recommended planting density

Ten inches apart

 

Care requirements after installed (water weekly, water once etc.)

Moist to dry conditions

 

Normal rate of growth or spread; lifespan

Short-lived. Spreads rapidly to 6 inches tall.  

 

Sources cited

1.      PLANTS National Database Reports and Topics: http://plants.nrcs.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=fact_sheet.cgi

2.      Fun Plant Facts: http://fact-sheets.com/plants/

3.      Native Plants of British Columbia http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/nh_papers/nativeplants/index.html

4.      Oregon State University Landscape Plants http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/

5.      Native Plants Propagation Protocol Database: http://nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu/network/

6.      NatureServe Explorer: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/index.htm  

7.      US Forest Service. “Classification of CommunityTypes, Successional Sequences, and
Landscapes of the Copper River Delta, Alaska.” http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr469a.pdf

8.      Sunset. Western Garden Book. 1995. Menlo Park: Sunset

9.      Plants for a Future: http://www.pfaf.org/index.html

10.  Sound Native Plants: http://www.soundnativeplants.com/

11.  Seven Oaks Native Nursery: http://sevenoaksnativenursery.com/

12.  Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. 1995: Lone Pine

 

Data compiled by:

Lorraine Brooks

May 23, 2006