Each year, I marvel at the curious lack of wild strawberries in our community. They will grow most anywhere, repel weeds, and feed people and wildlife alike. Moreover, few plants are easier for neighbors to share with each other. Even so, few of my neighbors, or even fellow gardeners, seem to know about this wondrous plant. For Maryland Native Plant Month, I invite you to explore the wild strawberry with me and see if it might have a place in your garden.

Fragaria virginiana, commonly called Virginia strawberry or wild strawberry, is native throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Unlike false strawberry (Potentilla indica), with yellow flowers and a tasteless fruit, wild strawberry has larger leaves, a white flower that blooms in mid-April, and a delicious edible fruit that’s about half the size of a typical grocery store strawberry. In fact, if you’ve ever tried to grow culinary strawberries, such as June-bearing or everbearing varieties, the plants look very similar. That’s because wild strawberry is one of the species that gives our modern hybrids their flavor.

I think everyone should grow strawberries because they can fit into most home gardens. They thrive in dry, full-sun conditions and can tolerate shade and some moisture. They also grow easily in poor soils, which means there’s no need to amend your beds in order to grow fruit. They will flower and fruit most heavily where they get lots of sun.

They also function as a semi-evergreen groundcover, claiming each bed thoroughly and preventing weeds from emerging in early spring. Like any good groundcover, they play well with other native plants, letting the taller, later-season plants emerge and bloom as usual. As a result, I’ve spread them into at least half of my garden beds.

In my garden, every May is a monthlong celebration of their delicious fruits. Instead of a big harvest all at once, I get a nice handful almost every day from each of my beds. They rarely make it to my kitchen, as I can’t help eating the sun-warmed fruits. However, I will collect some to use as cute cocktail garnishes (cut a slit down the middle for the lip of the glass) or as a tart pop in a homegrown spinach salad. I’m sure there are hundreds of other uses.

Strawberries are a powerhouse for wildlife. At least 11 groups of native bees and flies feed from the flowers, in turn cross-pollinating the plants. A number of caterpillars depend on the leaves to fuel their transformations into butterflies and moths. Plus, a variety of beetles and other less conspicuous insects feed either partially or exclusively on strawberries. None of these will cause significant or noticeable damage to your plants.

In addition to insect life, you’ll be supporting larger animals as well. Songbirds (such as robins), mammals (such as opossums and chipmunks), and reptiles (such as box turtles) will eat the fruits. Bunnies will also nibble the leaves.

All of these animal relationships add up to a special designation for strawberries: that of a keystone species. This term, coined by zoologist Robert T. Paine in 1969, calls to mind the wedge shape at the top of a stone arch that holds the rest of the structure together. Unlike taller and more well-known keystones like goldenrods (Solidago sp.), blueberries (Vaccinium sp.), and oaks (Quercus sp.), strawberries are an easy plant to integrate into any new or existing garden.

If you’re ready to welcome strawberries into your garden, I can offer these tips on planting them. First, while I do sometimes buy them as plugs for customers needing larger quantities, I recommend you first ask around your fellow gardeners. Each fall, I probably give away 50 plants and could give away more. Each node on each runner can be subdivided into a new plant. I tend to favor those nodes with tiny white roots starting to emerge, as they’ll have an easier time working into the soil. If you can get larger nodes with their own leaves, they’ll establish and mature more quickly.

Planting is easy. First, gouge out a shallow hole for each node and make sure the roots and crown of the plant are covered, while the leaves are able to stick up out of the soil. Next, water immediately and keep watering periodically until you see new growth forming. They will need a couple of years to establish and start fruiting.

I recommend you pick a place where you won’t be bothered by future runners. Strawberries are great for beds adjacent to mown lawns, as the mower will continuously trim the edges for you. If you plant them along a high-foot-traffic path, you’ll need to commit to trimming the runners at least once or twice a year (and giving them away, of course).

In a few years, I hope to see strawberries creeping through every sunny garden in Laurel. Perhaps we will have to celebrate with a festival in May.

Jimmy Rogers is an avid native gardener in the City of Laurel and owner of Vibrant Gardening LLC.