How big does Barren strawberry grow?

About 15 cm × 45 cm after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 10–20 cm × 30–50 cm.

What soil does Barren strawberry grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy.

Is Barren strawberry hardy?

Hardy down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

When does Barren strawberry flower?

Flowering: April–June, yellow.

How much water does Barren strawberry need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

Barren strawberry

Waldsteinia ternata

Barren strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata) is a ground cover plant that reaches 15 cm × 45 cm after ten years. Light: part shade, shade. Hardy down to -34 °C. Drought tolerance: medium.

Illustration of Barren strawberry — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A ground cover with glossy, three-part leaves like a strawberry that knits a dense carpet with its rooting runners, stays green through winter and is covered in golden yellow flowers in spring. It belongs under trees and shrubs in part shade or shade where grass gives up: once established it copes with dry shade and root competition and smothers weeds. Plant it in sun only if you can water in summer, and never where water stands.

Watch out for

No serious pests or diseases. In blazing sun without watering it scorches and thins out in summer, and it rots in waterlogged soil. In hard winters without snow cover the leaves can turn brown, and it resprouts in spring.

Key facts

Light: Part shade, Shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Low
Size after 10 years: 15 cm × 45 cm
Hardiness: down to -34 °C
Foliage: Evergreen
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D April–June, yellow

All details

Group	Ground cover
Light	Part shade, Shade
Size after 10 years	15 cm × 45 cm
Ultimate size	10–20 cm × 30–50 cm
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	April–June, yellow
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Low
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	Medium
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	30 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Non-toxic (uncertain)
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Ground cover plants for shade Ground cover plants Plants for shade Evergreen plants

Guide on the topic

Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.

Looks good next to it

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