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'Mara des Bois' is a patented hybrid variety. It is NOT AN ALPINE TYPE. It is one of the standard varieties grown in Europe. It does have a flavor and aroma that sets it apart from many of the hybrid garden varieties on the market. I does not produce giant fruit. The fruit is medium sized and should be picked ripe for the best flavor.

The patent holder has changed their distribution system in the U.S. We are one of a few companies that are carrying this variety this year. Our shipment is supposed to arrive on 3/26/10. It will take about 4 weeks for them to be ready to ship. Please do not place an order and then call or email about when they will be shipped. We cannot ship them until they are ready. We have a limited quantity available this year and when they're gone we will have to wait until next year for more. By the way, we reduced the price for this season by 50 cents. We don't want price to be a reason not to buy this wonderful variety.

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We have grown 'Mara des Bois' for several years. It is an ever bearing day neutral strawberry. Production is cyclical. The plant flowers and fruits. If conditions are acceptable, it will flower and fruit again. Here in zone 7 we get great production from late May until frost with a break during the heat of the summer. The plant will flower in summer but the pollen is not active when it's very hot. The plant is a strong grower that produces a lot of runners. The red fruit has an excellent taste that is strongly influenced by the soil and nutrition. We notice a stronger taste when the plants are grown in the garden rather than in containers.

Can be grown successfully in containers including strawberry jars and hanging baskets. The runners cascade beautifully over hanging baskets creating a vertical garden of sorts.

We have not yet tested this variety specifically for production but do find it to be productive. It is a day-neutral ever bearing variety that produces fruit cyclically when conditions are acceptable.

We strongly recommend this variety for those looking for gourmet strawberry varieties. It is compatible with alpine types and because of it's genetics will not normally cross with alpine types.