Pineberries start off green, gradually turning paler as they ripen.
When the fruit is sweet and juicy enough to eat, the flesh is almost totally white but studded with red seeds – the reverse of the usual variety.
Discovered wild in South America and rescued from extinction by Dutch farmers…they are smaller than most commercially grown strawberries, measuring between 15 and 23mm across – slightly less than an inch.
The pineberry combines the shape and texture of a strawberry with a flavor and smell closer to that of a pineapple.
If you have experience growing regular strawberries, pineberry cultivation can be just as easy. However, getting the starts may not be. Many breeders offer branded plants, but there are mainly three varieties to look for: ‘White D,’ ‘White Carolina’ and ‘White Pineberry.’ White D has larger berries compared to the other two, but they are still smaller than your standard red strawberries. They are all more like Alpine strawberries in their growth habits and have their everbearing nature too.
