Strawberry plants are herbaceous perennials, meaning they are non-woody plants that live for more than two years and return annually from the same root structure. The answer to whether they die every year is definitively no, though their winter appearance suggests otherwise. The visible foliage above ground will die back and turn brown, causing many to believe the plant has expired. This natural biological process allows the plant to survive and produce fruit again the following year.
Understanding Dormancy vs. Death
The plant is not dead in winter but has entered dormancy, a protective phase of reduced metabolic activity. This process begins with cold acclimation, where the plant senses shorter days and cooling temperatures in the late summer and fall. The plant redirects energy from leaf and runner production down into the crown and root system, storing carbohydrates for the next season’s growth.
The crown, the thickened stem at the soil line, is the perennial part that must survive the winter. Above-ground leaves perish, insulating the crown from the harshest cold. While the plant is cold-hardy, temperatures consistently below 15°F can fatally damage the crown if it is not protected. The plant requires chilling temperatures, typically between 32°F and 45°F, to properly set the flower buds that will become the next year’s fruit.
The Three Main Types of Strawberry Plants
Confusion about the plant’s longevity is often linked to the three primary types of cultivated strawberries, each having a distinct fruiting pattern. Most strawberry plants are only maintained for three to five years before yields decline, leading to misunderstandings about their life cycle. Both everbearing and day-neutral types are sometimes treated as annuals in commercial settings to maximize first-year production.
The most traditional variety is the June-bearing strawberry, which produces one large, concentrated harvest over a two- to three-week period in late spring or early summer. After this single flush of fruit, the plant shifts its energy to producing runners.
Another category is the everbearing strawberry, which typically yields two smaller crops per season, one in the late spring and a second in the fall. This type is less dependent on day length for flower bud formation than the June-bearing variety.
The third type, day-neutral strawberries, will fruit continuously throughout the entire growing season. This constant production is maintained as long as temperatures remain between 35°F and 85°F.
Annual Care for Perennial Production
Ensuring strawberries return and produce well requires specific care after the growing season concludes. Post-harvest management, often called renovation, is performed on June-bearing varieties immediately after the final fruit is picked. This process involves mowing the foliage down to about two inches above the crown to remove old leaves and encourage vigorous new growth.
Following renovation, the plants benefit from a balanced fertilizer application to replenish nutrients depleted by the harvest and prepare for the formation of next year’s flower buds. As winter approaches, the most significant step is providing protection for the vulnerable crown and root system. Once the plants have gone dormant and the soil temperature drops below 40°F, a loose layer of straw or pine needles, about three to five inches deep, should be applied over the plants. This mulch moderates soil temperature and prevents the freeze-thaw cycles that can push the crowns out of the ground.