June-Bearing Strawberry Varieties: A Complete Growing Guide

If you’re aiming for big harvests of sweet, juicy strawberries, June-bearing strawberries are a must. They’re famous for producing one large, concentrated crop per year—usually in late spring or early summer. And while they all bear fruit just once a year, not all June-bearers are created equal.

After years of growing strawberries across regions, I’ve learned that the secret to maximizing your June-bearing harvest lies in selecting the right varieties by season and region. From early ripeners in the South to late-season types for the Pacific Northwest, there’s a variety for every garden—and every goal.

Table of Contents

🍓 What Are June-Bearing Strawberries?

June-bearing strawberries are perennial favorites among home gardeners and commercial growers alike. These varieties:

Produce a single, heavy crop per year (typically 2–3 weeks long)
Bear fruit in their second year after planting
Generate runners freely, making them ideal for propagation
Are prized for their flavor, firmness, and yield

Unlike everbearing or day-neutral types, June-bearers sync their bloom and fruiting period with the seasons, giving you a predictable, bountiful harvest.

🗂️ How to Choose June-Bearing Varieties

There are dozens of June-bearing cultivars to choose from, and each is best suited to a particular harvest window and climate. Here’s how I organize them:

Early-season: Start producing in late spring
Mid-season: Peak production in early summer
Late-season: Extend the harvest into midsummer
By region: Varieties adapted to Southern, Northern, or Coastal climates

Below, I’ve listed top varieties by season and regional adaptability, so you can create a planting plan tailored to your garden.

🌱 Early-Season June-Bearing Varieties

Best for gardeners who want the first taste of strawberries as early as possible. Ideal for southern regions and zones with mild winters.

Variety	Key Traits	Best Regions
Blakemore	Small, firm, rich flavor; great for preserves	Southern US
Cyclone	Large, brilliant red, disease resistant	Northeast, Midwest
Dixieland	Medium-large, acidic; excellent for freezing	Southern US
Douglas	Large, sweet, firm berries	California
Earliglow	Excellent flavor, medium size	Northeast, Midwest
Sequoia	Soft, flavorful, early-producer	California, South
Veestar	Glossy, tart, excellent flavor	Northeast, Midwest

🌼 Mid-Season June-Bearing Varieties

This group represents the bulk of the season’s harvest. Mid-season strawberries are a great anchor for most gardens.

Variety	Key Traits	Best Regions
Allstar	Large, disease-resistant, juicy	All regions
Jewel	Large, firm, bright red	Northeast, Midwest
Honeoye	Bright red, sweet-tart	Northeast, Midwest
Cardinal	Sweet, firm, resists disease	South
Kent	Very large, firm, winter hardy	North
Midway	Dessert-quality, glossy red	Northeast, Midwest
Puget Beauty	Large, flavorful, disease-resistant	Northwest

🌇 Late-Season June-Bearing Varieties

These varieties extend the strawberry season, producing when early and mid-season types have finished. Great for staggered harvests.

Variety	Key Traits	Best Regions
Apollo	Deep scarlet, sweet	South
Benton	Soft, flavorful, virus resistant	Northeast, Midwest
Camarosa	Conical, flavorful	California, South
Fletcher	Medium to large, juicy, mild flavor	Northeast, Midwest
Marlate	Very large, sweet, hardy	South
Puget Reliance	Late, tasty, virus tolerant	Northwest
Toklat	Large, sweet, botrytis-sensitive	Northeast, Midwest

🧭 Should You Choose by Season and Region?

Yes—absolutely! Regional climate plays a huge role in how well strawberries perform. For example:

Sequoia thrives in California’s Mediterranean climate but struggles in humid areas.
Honeoye and Kent are cold-hardy and perfect for northern gardens.
Cardinal and Tennesse Beauty excel in warmer southern zones.

By combining early, mid-, and late-season varieties suited to your region, you can extend your harvest and improve your chances of success.

📅 Planning Tip: Staggered Planting = Extended Harvest

I recommend planting at least one variety from each season to get strawberries over 4–6 weeks instead of just 2. This also helps balance out risks—like bad weather during bloom time—that can wipe out a single crop.

🍓 Summary

With so many June-bearing strawberry varieties available, it’s no surprise that selecting the right ones can feel overwhelming. But with a little planning—based on your harvest goals and regional conditions—you’ll be well on your way to the sweetest season of all.

Extended List of June-bearing Strawberry Varieties

Early season harvest

‘Blakemore’: small, firm bright red berries; rich flavor; excellent for preserves; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Cyclone’: large, brilliant red, flavorful fruit; resists leaf diseases; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Darrow’: medium-large, deep red berries; firm flesh; good flavor; a moderate number of runners; June bearing.
‘Dixieland’: medium to large, firm berries; acidic flavor; excellent for freezing; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Douglas’: large deep red fruit; firm flesh; excellent flavor; high sugar content; suited to California; June bearing.
‘Dunlap’: medium size, light red fruit; hardy plant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Earlibelle’: medium to large, firm bright red berries; good for canning and freezing; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Earliglow’: June-bearing; medium size, rich red berries; excellent flavor; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June-bearing.
‘Empire’: large, light red berries; dessert quality; very productive; good in northern regions; June bearing.
‘Fairfax’: medium size, purplish-red fruit when ripe; dessert quality; June bearing.
‘Fletcher’: medium-size fruit; excellent flavor; good for freezing; June bearing.
‘Midland’: good fresh or frozen; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Northeaster’: large fruit; grows well in clay soil; resists red stele; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Premier’: June-bearing; large glossy red berries; juicy; disease and frost resistant; June bearing.
‘Sequoia’: large dark red berries; soft flesh; excellent flavor; starts producing early; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Sunrise’: medium size, bright red fruit; dessert quality; produces ample runners; red stele and verticillium resistant; June bearing.
‘Tioga’: medium to large, medium red fruit; firm flesh; good flavor; prolific producer; June bearing.
‘Titan’: large, berries; firm flesh; good flavor; high yield; June bearing.
‘Tufts’: large, even red fruit; dessert quality; high sugar content with some tartness; June bearing.
‘Veestar’: medium size, glossy red fruit; moderately firm flesh; slightly tart, excellent flavor; June bearing.

Midseason harvest varieties

‘Allstar’: June-bearing.
‘Cardinal’: large, firm uniformly red berries; sweet flavor; for fresh eating and processing; resists leaf spot, powdery mildew, leaf scorch; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Catskill’: large glossy, bright crimson berries; good dessert quality; excellent for freezing; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Douglas’: large, firm berries; grows well in California; June bearing.
‘Florida Ninety’: large berries; good flavor; good yield; good runner production; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Glooscap’: medium to large, glossy red berries; excellent flavor and quality; makes runners freely; best in cool and wet climates; June bearing.
‘Guardian’: large, light red berries; good flavor; good for desserts; freezes well; disease resistant; good in cold winter regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Headliner’: good quality; good fruit and runner production; resists leaf spot; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Holiday’: large fruit; good production; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Honeoye’: large, bright red berries; sweet-tart flavor; good in cold regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Hood’: large, conical, medium-red berries; excellent flavor for fresh eating or processing; early ripening; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Jewel’: large, firm, bright red berries; best in cold winter regions; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Kent’: very large, dark red berries, firm flesh; for fresh eating and frozen desserts; produces ample runners; adapted to northern climates, winter hardy; June bearing.
‘Lester’: large, deep red berries; firm flesh, mild flavor; resists red stele; susceptible to verticillium; June bearing.
‘Midway’: large, deep red glossy berries; dessert-quality fruit; susceptible to leaf spot and verticillium wilt; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Northwest’: medium to large firm, bright red berries; flavorful; good fresh or in preserves; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
‘Olympus’: June-bearing; medium to large fruit; resists red stele and viral diseases; grows well in northwest
‘Pocahontas’: June-bearing; good frozen and in preserves; resists leaf scorch; grows well in southern regions also in the northeast; June bearing.
‘Puget Beauty’: large, light crimson fruit; flavorful; excellent fresh and for freezing and preserves; resists mildew; June bearing.
‘Rainier’: large berries; flavorful; tolerates root rot; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
‘Raritan’: large, glossy, bright red berries; firm flesh; dessert quality; productive; susceptible to red stele and wilt; June bearing.
‘Redchief’: medium size, firm, deep red berries; very productive; resists red stele (root rot); June bearing.
‘Red Coat’: medium to large, light red glossy berries; firm flesh; good for freezing and jam; resist powdery mildew; June bearing.
‘Robinson’: medium to large, red berries; mild flavor; virus disease tolerant; drought-resistant; June bearing.
‘Royal Sovereign’: large, bright red berries; excellent flavor; susceptible to disease; June bearing.
‘Scott’: large fruit, bright red fruit; firm flesh; mild flavor; freezes well; resistant to red stele; verticillium tolerant; June bearing.
‘Sequoia’: large berries; good for freezing and preserves; moderate runner production; June bearing.
‘Shasta’: large berries; good for freezing and preserves; June bearing.
‘Snow White’: small to medium, white fruit; mild flavor; June bearing.
‘Sparkle’: midseason medium size, dark red, glossy fruit; soft flesh; excellent for dessert and freezing; powdery mildew resistant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Surecrop’: large, firm bright red fruit; tart flavor; good dessert quality; resists diseases; grows in all regions; June bearing.
‘Suwannee’: medium to large fruit; excellent flavor; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Tangi’: medium-large fruit; excellent flavor; good disease resistance; June bearing.
‘Tennesse Beauty’: June-bearing; medium size, medium to deep red berries; good flavor; good fresh or frozen; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Vermillion’: very hardy; June bearing.
‘White Pine’: small fruit, glossy white skin; moderately productive; June bearing.

Late-season harvest varieties

‘Apollo’: large, deep scarlet berries; sweet flavor; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Albritton’: large berries; rich flavor; for freezing; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Arking’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Benton’: soft berries; good flavor; virus tolerant, mildew resistant; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Canoga’: large red, sweet fruit; heavy production; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Camarosa’: conical berries; susceptible to mildew; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Crimson King’: grows well in the Northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Daybreak’: large berries; good flavor; good for preserving; vigorous plants; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Delite’: medium to large, bright red fruit; good flavor, dessert quality; very productive; June bearing.
‘Fletcher’: medium to large fruit, medium red, glossy fruit; juicy; mild flavor; good for freezing; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Howard 17’ (‘Premier’): medium size berries; good quality; disease resistant; grows well in northeast and midwest; June bearing.
‘Jerseybelle’: large, medium red fruit; mild flavor; few runners; moderate production; June bearing.
‘Marlate’: very large bright red fruit; sweet flavor; good fresh and freezes well; very hardy; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Puget Beauty’: grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
‘Puget Reliance’: large, tasty berries; excellent flavor; virus tolerant; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
‘Puget Summer’: heavy yield, late-season; sweet flavor; susceptible to powdery mildew; grows well in the northwest; June bearing.
‘Redchief’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Redstar’: large fruit; good dessert quality; resists viral disease; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Robinson’: large berries; good yield; long harvest; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Sequoia’: very tasty; widely adapted; grows well in California; June bearing.
‘Shasta’: grows well in California; June bearing.
‘Sunrise’: firm berries; very good flavor; not for freezing; resists diseases; grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Surecrop’: grows well in southern regions; June bearing.
‘Toklat’: large, sweet berries; susceptible to botrytis; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Trumpeter’: large, bright red fruit; firm, juicy flesh; slightly tart; grows well in northeast and Midwest; June bearing.
‘Vesper’: medium size, glossy light red fruit; good flavor; ripens rapidly; grows well in the east; June bearing.