Alpine Strawberries are a bit larger than the wild variety, but still much smaller the modern hybrids. So why grow them? Well, people have considered their delicate, succulent strawberry flavor a treat worth the effort for hundreds of years now. While you won't get a huge crop, they do fruit continuously throughout your growing season. They've even been nicknamed the "perpetual strawberry".
Alpines don't send out runners and so don't need careful watching. Something new I learned while researching this article is that the straw in strawberry is from the verb to strew. Even without runners, alpine strawberries will re-seed readily.
They prefer partial shade with at least 4 hours of sun daily and will form a compact plant about 10" high, with an 8" spread. You'll fare better with soil that is rich in organic matter. The roots are very shallow and mulching will help keep them moist, as well as safe from the hoe
