History of strawberry in United States

In 1780 the first strawberry hybrid variety Hudson, was developed in the United States. It was developed in Virginia and was easily distinguished from Hautboys, the European varieties. In 1834, Charley Hovey, a nurseryman in Cambridge, MA, developed a new variety name ‘Hovey’ which resulted from a planned cross, and it is an ancestor of most modern varieties.

The seeds were planted in boxes in the greenhouse and the young plant removed to the open ground in June. In 1835, the plants produced some fruit, and in 1836, they came into full bearing.

In 1852 James Wilson of Albany launched the first true hermaphrodite strawberry, ‘Wilson’s Albany’ often just known as ‘Wilson”.

The plant took off with a vengeance, as it eliminated the need to ensure that different male and female varieties were intercropped; good crops of the juicy red fruit were a certainly.

Commercial production of strawberries in North America flourished with the introduction of Wilson’s Albany and between 1860 an 1885, it was the most popular variety grown in the United States.

In 1999 New York state ranked seventh nationally in strawberry production, with $8.27 million in revenues from self-pick and consumer market sales.
History of strawberry in United States