Strawberry Mara des bois

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

‘Mara des Bois’ is a compact, everbearing strawberry, 5-10 cm high, prized for its intense wild-strawberry aroma. It is not a deep-room houseplant, but it is superb in containers and can fruit on a very sunny windowsill, balcony or patio.

Quick Details

• Container Size: A pot, trough or hanging basket of about 3-10 L; strawberries have shallow roots
• Indoor Suitability: Not a deep-indoor plant, but a compact everbearer can fruit on a bright, sunny sill
• Best Spot: Full sun to part shade – the sunniest spot for the best crop
• Soil & Drainage: Rich but free-draining mix
• Watering in Pots: Average to generous – keep evenly moist while flowering and fruiting; pots dry fast

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Not a deep-room plant: The grower marks it ‘No’ for indoors – strawberries need strong light to fruit well.
• Windowsill: On your brightest, sunniest sill with direct sun, this compact everbearer can flower and fruit indoors; poor light gives leaves but little fruit.
• Season: As an everbearer it crops over a long season – a sunny sill can extend picking into the cooler months.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & warmth: Give it the sunniest spot; baskets and troughs on a warm balcony crop heavily and keep the fruit off the ground.
• Watering: Small pots and baskets dry very fast – check daily in warm weather and keep the mix evenly moist for good fruit.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A pot, trough or basket with good holes; skip a standing water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries fast (good for succulents), while glazed or plastic holds moisture longer.
• Potting mix: A rich, free-draining mix – potting mix with added compost and a little perlite.
• Feeding: Feed with a high-potash (tomato) feed while flowering and fruiting; Potted plants exhaust their food faster because watering leaches nutrients, so feed lightly through the growing season – more often than plants in open ground.
• Refreshing: Replace tired plants and refresh the mix every year or two, potting on rooted runners for new stock.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Late spring through summer, and into autumn as an everbearer
• Flower Appearance: White, five-petalled flowers with a central boss of yellow stamens
• Edibility: The flowers are harmless but not eaten — the plant is grown for its aromatic berries

Detailed Blooming Overview

‘Mara des Bois’ is an everbearing strawberry with the perfume of a wild woodland berry. Its simple white flowers open over a long season, each one the start of a fruit.

Flower Characteristics

• White flowers with five petals and a central cluster of yellow stamens.
• Produced over a long period from late spring onward.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Thinning: on newly planted runners, pinching off the first flush of flowers lets the plant build strength for a heavier later crop.
• Pollination: mainly by bees — good pollination gives well-formed, even berries.

Bloom Health & Protection

• Grey mould (Botrytis): can rot open blossoms in damp weather — airflow, removing affected flowers and a suitable fungicide help.
• Late frost: can blacken the centre of open flowers — covering plants on frosty nights protects the bloom.