Do Purple Strawberries Exist?
Strawberries are incredibly popular berries, but each year new types of berries are developed through genetic manipulation or are “discovered” like acai berries… okay they are actually drupes, but you get the gist. So, it comes as no surprise that the time has come for the Purple Wonder strawberry! Yes, indeed, the color of the berry is purplish; I’d call it more burgundy. In fact, the color goes through the entire berry unlike the common red strawberry, which is actually white inside. Apparently, this deeper hue makes them an excellent choice for making into strawberry wine and preserves, plus their high antioxidant content makes them a healthy choice. I know that many of us are concerned about genetically modified foods, but the great news is that Purple Wonder strawberries are NOT genetically modified. They have been bred naturally by the small fruits breeding program over at Cornell University. Development of these purple strawberry plants was begun in 1999 and released in 2012 – 13 years of development!
About Growing Purple Strawberries
The final purple strawberry is medium sized, very sweet, and aromatic, and does well throughout the temperate regions of the United States, meaning that it is hardy to USDA zone 5. The other great thing about Purple Wonder strawberries is that they produce few runners, which makes them ideal for container gardening and other small garden spaces. These strawberry plants can be easily grown in the garden given the same growing conditions and care as any other strawberry.
