Wild strawberries thrive in Finland after early spring and warm start to summer

Wild strawberries are growing in Finland this summer in greater numbers than in decades, according to researchers cited by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The abundance follows an early spring and a warm, wet early summer, creating ideal conditions for the berries, said Saara Hyttinen of the Finnish Horticultural Society. Other wild berries, such as bilberries and lingonberries, are also expected to yield a strong harvest.

Henry Väre, a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki, noted the wild strawberries appear to be spreading more widely than in previous years. He attributed the growth to favorable weather but warned that long-term declines in open habitats—due to changes in agriculture and rural land use—threaten the plant’s future.

Wild strawberries thrive in sunny roadside verges and forest edges. Unlike cultivated strawberries, they have a more aromatic flavor. The northernmost wild strawberries grow in Central Lapland, extending the picking season in Finland for weeks to come.