10 Best Berries to Plant in Winter
These tidy, small-space friendly plants give a big summer bounty
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Planting and Care
Buy
Shop for bare-root plants now. If you can’t find what you want, ask your nursery to order from a grower.
Prep
Store bare-root plants in moist newspaper until you are ready to plant; submerge the roots in a bucket of water the night before planting.
Plant
Amend the soil with compost, then dig a planting hole that’s wide enough for the roots to spread out evenly. Spacing varies by variety, so consult the plant tags; avoid overcrowding.
Tend
Berries appreciate some afternoon shade. Give them all regular water.
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‘Raspberry Shortcake’ Raspberry
Topping out at just 12 to 24 inches high and wide, this plant thrives in a large container without trellising.
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'Mara des Bois' Strawberry
Our Test Garden design assistant, Lauren Dunec, calls this variety’s flavor “the essence of a strawberry.” It’s a favorite at Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.
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‘Apache’ Thornless Blackberry
In summer, these 6- to 8-foot-tall plants yield hefty crops. The upright canes are thornless. Train them on stakes that are 4 feet apart.
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‘Sequoia’ Strawberry
Large red berries of this June-bearing variety taste sweeter than most you can buy at the grocery store.
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‘Seascape’ Strawberry
This everbearing variety produces large, juicy berries all summer. It does exceptionally well along the coast. Plant in containers or in the ground.
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‘Indian Summer’ Raspberry
This raspberry grows 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide; it needs trellising to stay tidy. Plants produce both a spring and fall crop of berries.
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‘Bountiful Blue’ Blueberry
A great choice for small gardens, this compact plant (3 to 4 feet tall and wide) produces a giant crop of sweet berries and ornamental foliage.
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‘Jelly Bean’ Blueberry
This plant has a spherical shape that’s pretty in a pot. “It’s as neat as a boxwood,” Dunec says. Berries ripen from early to midsummer.
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Musk Variety Strawberry
The best way to get these tasty, aromatic berries—so fragile they rarely show up at markets—is to grow them yourself. Plants spread by runners.
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‘Golden Alexandria’ Alpine Strawberry
You’ll get tiny red berries all summer long from these everbearing plants. Lime green leaves brighten up the understory of shaded beds.
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