Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) are well-known for their vigorous growth habits, and the answer to whether they spread is an unequivocal yes. These plants are ground-covering perennials that have evolved a highly effective method of asexual reproduction to colonize new areas rapidly. This vegetative strategy allows a single plant to quickly multiply itself, propagating new individuals that are genetically identical to the parent plant.
The Primary Spreading Mechanism
The primary method strawberries use to spread involves specialized horizontal stems called stolons, which are commonly referred to as runners. These runners emerge from the crown, the dense, compressed stem at the base of the plant from which leaves and roots grow. The runner extends outward, growing along the soil surface away from the original mother plant. As the runner grows, it develops a node at its tip, which makes contact with the soil and begins to develop its own root system and leaves. Once this new plant, known as a daughter plant, establishes itself with sufficient roots, the connection to the mother plant through the stolon can be severed naturally or by a gardener.
Varietal Differences in Growth Habits
The intensity of a strawberry plant’s spreading habit varies significantly across different types. June-bearing varieties, which produce one large crop annually, are the most aggressive spreaders and generate a high number of runners. This vigorous runner production makes them well-suited for the “matted row” system, where gardeners intentionally allow the plants to spread and fill in the rows with daughter plants. In contrast, Everbearing and Day-Neutral varieties exhibit a significantly reduced tendency to produce runners. Everbearing types typically yield two harvests per season and produce few runners, while Day-Neutral varieties fruit continuously throughout the growing season and produce the fewest runners of all. Gardeners often grow these less aggressive types in a “hill system,” which focuses on developing a single, multi-crowned mother plant rather than encouraging wide spread.
Controlling Strawberry Runners
Managing strawberry runners is a fundamental practice for gardeners, as the plant’s energy is divided between asexual reproduction and fruit production. When a plant produces a runner, it diverts resources that could otherwise be used to develop larger, more abundant berries. Therefore, a common strategy for maximizing fruit yield is to remove excess runners, especially from Everbearing and Day-Neutral varieties, which should have all runners removed as they appear. For June-bearing strawberries grown in a matted row, a degree of spread is necessary for patch renewal, but thinning is still important to prevent overcrowding. Allowing too many runners to root too closely together can lead to poor air circulation, which increases the risk of fungal diseases. Gardeners often limit the number of new daughter plants per mother plant to about four, cutting the rest to redirect the plant’s resources back into the main crown.