Possible. Fragaria chiloensis (sand strawberries), not the hybrids you pour over shortcake, are effective here in Z 5 Maine. Mine just showed up on their own and perform well in shade too. Just don't count on getting any bonus fruit. The berries are very small and rodents will likely pluck them off before you do.

However, like any creeper, you've got keep an eye on them because they will climb up over prostrate or spreading plants if given a chance.

Thanks for the info. Yes my strawberries just showed up too! I don't think I will let it stay after reading your post. I think I can find much better ground covers right? Can you suggest some nice ground covers that look nice with the evergreens and behave well. Thanks

I good substitute is Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, or bearberry.

Yes, bears like it, but so do most other omnivores since the red berries don't ripen until very late in the season when there's little else to eat. So you have that spot of color sprinkled in from midsummer until snow cover. In spring you get a cute little pinkish white flower. It has a nice shiny leaf as well.

The Native Americans (and native Mainers today) call it kinnikinnick, which was their name for a mixture of its dried bark and leaves that was a tobacco substitute.

Unlike sand strawberry which extends its tendrils to climb up and over low-lying plants if you're not vigilant, arctostaphylos can get to be about six inches high but it behaves itself better.

I've got a patch under some conifers that I'll post for you tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a link from the New England Wildflower Society.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arctostaphylos / bearberry

Oh that's a lovely plant! I am anxious to see your picture. I read it does well in my area too. I wonder if I could winter sow it? If not I can purchase some plants this spring. Tomorrow I will go pull up the strawberry plants before they take off. I just this week planted the runners all over the area but I had second thoughts about it and glad I posted today. Thanks for your help!

Here's an example of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi as a ground cover for conifers - in this case a small Picea pungens.

In this gallery, click on the last image in the row to see the photo I put up for you.

I have another suggestion but it requires a bit more time and cost but I'll put it up later for you to think about.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bear berry as ground cover for conifers

i am glad i dont have to worry about bears in my garden ... lol

my only thought.. in regard to fruit strawberry.. is the plant itself is biennial ... so there will always be a certain number of dead ones that should be removed.. and you would have to train the runners to where you want them ... which sounds like too much wirk for what fits under the definition of groundcover.. i want stuff i can walk on ...

that said... i dont know anything about the plant the mysterious UN NAMED editor describes.. sounds cool. but for bear.... i can do w/o bear ....

ken

Strawberries generally don't grow thick enough to keep the weeds down. Strawberries are always on the move. The runners are a constant concern, going beyond most boundaries.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is slow to get established, but when it is, it's a pretty good groundcover for small trees. To get it established, with a minimum of trouble afterwards, I plant in on mounds and put a thick mulch between plants to keep the weeds down until the Bearberry takes over.
Some forms of Cotoneaster work well as a groundcover depending on the scale you're using. The variety dammeri is used a lot here.
Mike

Here if the conifers are of much size strawberries, bearberry and anything else susceptible to weevils is liable to have visually significant damage if growing beneath them.

The cotoneaster stands out for looking a lot more handsome under adverse (and other) circumstances.

Sand strawberry being hardy in USDA 5 I wonder about, might that instead be Sunset 5?

If you have plenty of sun, time and resources, consider this attractive blue-green procumbent juniper, Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' as ground cover for your conifers.

This Japanese garden juniper can be had in #2/ #3 pots, will stay only a few inches high and, over time, can spread to 8-10.'

I like it for the contrast it provides most of my conifers but also because it's really tough. You can walk on it as you are working around the conifers and don't have to worry about crushing the leaves as you might with arctostaphylos.

It will take a few years to get started and you'll have to police the weeds until it takes hold but it will eventually form a dense mat that requires less attention each year. Granted, your investment will be greater on the front end but, if you like the look, you'll be rewarded by a steel grey carpet, one that, if confronted with a boulder or wall, will gracefully tumble over it providing another bonus feature.

Here is a link that might be useful: Another ground cover for conifers

I took all the strawberry plants out today. :) I really like the idea of the Japanese garden juniper especially that you can actually walk on it. Not that I would make a habit of walking on it but when necessary it would be nice not to have to worry about destroying it. Thanks so much to all that helped. I have something to go with now.

I have two favorite groundcovers under conifers. The first lol, other conifers. The yellow junipers are amazing under blue conifers. My other favorite is sweetbox, also evergreen and in winter blooms with a strong smell of vanilla.I also use the alpine strawberry in the shade because the critters love it and I like the bunnies and chipmunks. Others may not.I am in the process of completely replacing my lawn with groundcovers and am so much happier to be lawn free.