Have you ever tasted berries that taste like pineapple but look like strawberries? If not, then read about Hula Berries.
Hula Berries have red seeds contrasting against their yellowy-whitish flesh, which resembles a film photograph negative of the more common red-fleshed, yellow-seeded variety. However, this visual effect is entirely real. The impressive appearance is sure to catch the eye and intrigue consumers. As for its flavor, it offers a unique twist with notes reminiscent of mellow pineapple, adding to its originality.
Read: Jostaberry Growing and Care Guide
Hula Berries Information
Also known as pineberries, alpine berries, or white strawberries, hula berries originated in South America. They experienced further breeding in the Netherlands before being introduced as a commercial fruit in the UK and Europe around 2010. Initially, they might be mistaken for unripe fruit due to their color, but unlike green-hued unripe strawberries, hula berries boast bright red seeds. Their flesh is delightfully soft and sweet, delivering a pineapple-like experience with the first bite. While some perceive them the same as a garden strawberry with a subtle citrus twist, others may find them less sweet.
The Hula Berry offers a bold taste reminiscent of pineapple. These extraordinary berries, non-GMO and full of flavor, originated from an innovative enhancement of the age-old white strawberry known as a pineberry.
Hula berries originate from cross-pollination. They are a hybrid resulting from the combination of two strawberry species: the beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) native to Chile and the wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) found across North America. Through selective breeding, a specific cross between these two species yielded Hula berry plants bearing delicious white strawberries.
However, like other hybrids, seeds from Hula berries may not consistently produce plants with white strawberries. Hence, it’s necessary to cultivate hula berries from plants rather than relying on seeds.
Note: Hula berries do not produce berries in the first year.
Propagating Hula Berries
When propagating hula berries, start with plants and never from seeds. If you see Hula Berries seeds for sale in online stores or anywhere else, don’t buy them. Even if they come from real Hula Berries, there’s a small chance the plants they grow into will make white strawberries. And remember, seeds from Hula Berries bought at farmer’s markets won’t grow in Hula Berries plants either.
To grow Hula Berries plants, you’ll have to order them from a plant nursery. The cheapest option is to order bare-root plants during winter. If you can’t find them as bare-root, you can also get them as potted plants, but they’ll be a bit pricier. They’re usually sold individually or in sets of five to ten. Starting with just a few is wise because they’ll multiply through runners, giving you more plants than you’ll ever need.
NOTE: Plant them so that the top of the crown is level with the soil surface, avoiding planting them deeper.
Getting Hula Berry Plants
Many garden centers may not have Hula Berries plants despite their increasing popularity. To acquire them, you’ll likely need to order from specialized nurseries or trusted sources that already grow them. There are several varieties available, such as Snow White, White Carolina, White Dream, Wonderful, Natural Albino, White Pine, White Albino, and White D.
In Europe, you’ll come across Snow White and White Dream more often, while in North America, you’ll find the others. Plants may be labeled as “Pineberry” without specifying a variety.
To obtain pineberries from reliable sources, consider Hirts Garden Store in the USA, which sells on Amazon, or Thompson & Morgan, J. Parkers, or Crocus in the UK. Remember to purchase plants instead of seeds, and be sure to read the reviews before making a decision.
When you receive your plants or bare-root plants, it’s time to plant them. If your bare-root plants arrive during winter and their roots appear a bit dry, you can soak them for ten to fifteen minutes before potting them or planting them in the ground. Potted plants can be planted at any time of the year as long as the ground isn’t frozen or covered in snow.
Hula berries flourish whether planted in open ground or containers. However, it has been experienced that they can be a bit too vigorous in the garden. It is suggested that strawberries and pineberries be grown separately, as hula berries can take over the garden.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Hula Berries
Light
Grow hula berries where they get plenty of sunlight.
Soil
It prefers rich soil in areas where pollinators regularly come.
Water
Keep your berries well watered and maintain the soil moisture. However, avoid overwatering.
Hula Berries Care
Mulch
When berries are forming begin to mulch the soil with straws.
Fertilizer
When planting Hulaberries in the spring, blend compost into the soil. In the following years, a side dressing of compost was applied. By late summer, expect them to send out runners to produce new baby plants.
Pests
Protect your plants from slugs. Mulching the plants and removing any decaying berries can help minimize slug activity. Additionally, you can decrease the slug population by employing beer traps and organic slug pellets or manually removing them from the vicinity of your plants.
Also, protect the plants when berries are appearing from the attack of birds.
Harvesting
Pineberries are known for their abundant berry production as they belong to the overbearing type of strawberries. This means they can yield berries continuously, provided they receive warm but not excessively hot sunlight, regular watering, and the presence of pollinating insects. Enjoying berries throughout the summer is definitely a positive aspect of growing them.
The best method for deciding hula berry ripeness involves checking the seeds on the berry. Once they achieve a vivid red hue, the berry is ripe. Also, the flesh becomes soft to the touch. When given sufficient time on the plant and exposure to sunlight, the initially white flesh transitions to a gentle pink hue.
Harvesting pineberries can be a bit trickier compared to strawberries due to their smaller size. However, the abundance of berries makes up for the extra effort.
Storage
Once harvested, hula berries should be used or preserved immediately. Unlike strawberries, they don’t stay fresh for long and can start to brown and mold quickly.
Freezing is the top method for preserving them! Also, don’t wash the freshly picked berries from the garden. Instead, remove the calyx (the green leafy part) and place them on a baking tray lined with freezer paper. After six hours in the freezer, you can transfer them from the tray to a container or ziplock bag for storage.
Quick Takeaways
- Hula berries are ready to pick when their skin shifts from green-white to a soft creamy white.
- If left on the plant, the skin gradually turns into a gentle pink hue.
- It’s common for berries not to appear in the first year of growth.
- Once berries start to form, it’s recommended to place straw or another protective material under them to shield them from slugs and prevent rot.