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

Origin of strawberry

Strawberry is a perennial plant which belongs to the family Rosaceae. The genus name, Fragaria, comes from the Latin fraga, referring to the scent of the berry.

The species was probably first cultivated by the Romans. Archeologists have found seeds dating from Neolithic, Roman and medieval remains.

It was probably first domesticated in Belgium, France and Germany in the 15th to 17th centuries.

In 1714, a Frenchman named Amedee Francois Frezier returned from duty in Peru and Chile with five plants of Fragaria chiloensis, a large-fruited species native to coastal areas of South America.

He introduced the species into garden in Brest France where F. virginiana was being cultivated. Chance hybridization occurred, and soon the strawberry industry was borne.

French botanist Antoine Duchesne published a book in 1766 detailing the origin of the pineapple strawberry.

Amateur breeders in Europe made controlled crosses and selected several cultivars that finally made their way to United States.

Native American strawberries were enjoyed by early settlers in the eastern United States and in the early 1800s, Fragaria x ananassa cultivars were brought to America from Europe. The ‘x’ denotes a hybrid origin.

Until about 1850, which is when commercial cultivation began, early settlers relied on native species and plants imported from Europe.

At present, the garden strawberry is by far the most important strawberry, it is grown extensively in temperature and subtropical countries.

Origin of strawberry