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grrloutloud

Marshall Strawberry?

grrloutloud
12 years ago

I just learned about Marshall Strawberries today - they were first grown here in the Boston area, but it appears that they are all but gone.

There's a farm on Bainbridge Island (WA) that sometimes sells their plants who I've already written to, but if someone else has a plant that they know is Marshall, I'd love to buy a runner or two from you.

Let me know and thanks in advance!

Comments (19)

  • evonnestoryteller
    12 years ago

    I don't have a Marshall Strawberry. I did get Mara des Bois Strawberries from Whiteflower Farms this year. Because I planted them late in the season, I only got a couple to eat. They were like candy! I am looking forward to next year.

    Common Name: Woodland Strawberry

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mara des Bois Strawberries

  • evonnestoryteller
    12 years ago

    I should tell you that I don't have any shoots though... I just planted them the end of July. :) If you were looking for a different strawberry for flavor, I thought I was worth a look. Maybe someone else has then for shoots.

  • asarum
    12 years ago

    You have interested me in the story of the Marshall strawberry. Very interesting. Sorry I don't have any leads.

  • leahgauthier
    11 years ago

    hi there, i'm an artist starting a refuge for rare food plants of new england in maine. i've been cultivating the marshall strawberry since 2007.

    i have over 200 marshall plants and should have over 1000 by fall. will be back on the east coast with them in spring. happy to share.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Marshall Strawberry

  • grrloutloud
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I actually found your project after I made this post and contacted the corvallis gene bank, but they never wrote back to me. How do they fare in the mail? I'm grrloutloud@gmail.com - would love more info!

  • leahgauthier
    11 years ago

    not sure they will do so well via mail. but let's keep in touch and we can meet up when i get to the east coast in the spring. best thing to do is to sign up for my quarterly newsletter to stay posted. www.leahgauthier.com/contact. and i'll email you when i get in.

    Here is a link that might be useful: leah's mailing list

  • leahgauthier
    11 years ago

    hi everyone,

    my marshall's are reproducing like mad and i'm working with an artist consultancy to release an edition of 600. so if you're interested in a marshall strawberry for your garden click the link for more information.

    http://www.marshallstrawberry.com

    Here is a link that might be useful: Marshall Strawberry

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    11 years ago

    $70. for one Marshall strawberry plant according to the site linked to.

  • bill_ri_z6b
    11 years ago

    Ripoff on the overnight shipping. Actually seems the whole thing is ridiculous. Sorry, but my opinion.

    Try the link below.

    {{gwi:5901}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: bainbridge farms

  • diggingthedirt
    11 years ago

    I looked around the web after PM2's post, and didn't find any Marshall strawberry plants for sale - none at Bill's link either. I wouldn't pay anywhere near $30 plus shipping for strawberry plants!

    So, James Beard liked them? That's nice, but you've got to be from somewhere other than New England if a celebrity chef's endorsement gets you to shell out that kind of cash for something that basically appears in your garden - free.

    Let's see where else this advertisement was posted ...

  • bill_ri_z6b
    11 years ago

    DTD, I totally agree that this "ad" was posted here! The Bainbridge site had a place to order from the marketplace that they have annually. I didn't check the details though. The shipping for one plant for next day would never cost $35 on top of the $30 plant cost! Trust me, I was head clerk at the US Post Office here, and express mail for a little packet like that might cost $18-20 but no more. And $30 for a strawberry plant it just too much!

    {{gwi:5901}}

  • harbke
    11 years ago

    i agree it is a lot for a strawberry plant, however, I am old enough to remember the marshall, (actually my mom had to tell me what variety it was) I remember it as a kid I love strawberries and no other berry has ever come close, this is the only person I have found who put the work into reviving them and I am thankful that she did. If you want strawberries for next season, you should definitely go with a commercially available variety as I will, the marshall will be a labor of love

  • tree_oracle
    11 years ago

    Maybe my taste buds are not as sensitive or refined as some on here but I am quite happy with the strawberry varieties that I grow that don't require a second mortgage to buy. The first variety that I ever grew that I still have is Earliglow. The berries are small to medium in size but their taste is so intense. I just love them. Recently, I added Jewel and Record to my garden. The taste of both were equally good to Earliglow. I now have an early, mid, and late variety that should keep us in strawberries for several weeks. It will be a cold day you know where when I pay $30 for a single strawberry plant. I honestly don't think my taste buds could tell the difference between Marshall and the varieties that I grow.

  • bill_ri_z6b
    11 years ago

    Tree_oracle, do you know of any of the everbearers that have that old-fashioned strawberry flavor? I was considering some of the pink flowered ones because I have a place where the ornamental value could work.

    {{gwi:5901}}

  • tree_oracle
    11 years ago

    Bill,

    I've only tried one everbearing variety. I've forgotten the name. I was anxious to experience the taste that many rave about. I was shocked when I tasted the first one. No taste at all. I know that it was probably just bad luck that I chose a variety that tasted this way but the whole experience turned me off of the everbearing varieties. I've stuck with the seasonal varieties since then. I really can't imagine an variety tasting better than Earliglow. It's the standard that I judge all others by.

  • bill_ri_z6b
    11 years ago

    I wonder if there's a place nearby where they sell Earliglow at picking time? That would be a great way to taste them. I was hoping to find an ornamental type though since they'd be planted in a very visible area. I have looked at some pink-flowered ones and there are a lot more than I originally read about.

    {{gwi:5901}}

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    11 years ago

    I know next to nothing about strawberries, but I happened to get an email from Logee's which has an everbearing strawberry on sale. Bill knows Logee's well.

    Logee's sale

    The email says:

    Everbearing Strawberry
    'Mara des Bois' p.p.
    (Fragaria hybrid)
    This highly desirable gourmet strawberry has the most delicious flavor and fragrance. These plants are prolific fruiters and the berries taste like wild strawberries but are larger in size. Set of 6 plants, each in a 2.5" pot.

    Claire

  • SDinPDX
    11 years ago

    I have some Marshall plants in the yard. It came with the house we bought 30 years ago. I had a long email chain with Kim Hummer from USDA to help identify my plants for 3 years now. This was the last email I got from Kim this year:

    "I think you have âÂÂMarshallâ from what you have shown me and described.

    You donâÂÂt need to send leaves.

    If we had extra funding - we donâÂÂt having just gone through big cuts - and possibly expecting more - but if we did we could do DNA analysis and see if it lines up.

    But your information sure has the phenotype of âÂÂMarshall.âÂÂ

    Kim E. Hummer
    Research Leader
    USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository Corvallis, Oregon"

    I mailed the leave samples to Kim anyway. Since it only cost me a stamp. Who knows, maybe they can squeeze some money to do a DNA test to my plant. :-)

    Marshall was a very common and popular variety here in the Pacific Northwest. We got this house from an elderly couple. They grew fruits and vegetables in the yard for decades. They lived here since the 30s. It was not too surprised to see the Marshall plants in the yard. I knew I had something special but I never knew what it was. Years after years, these incredible strawberry plants had incredible sweet little berries. The only complaint I had for years was the 'shelf life'. It does not last long after I picked them. 1 day max before they turn soft. The berries was funny/irregular looking. Not like the picture perfect strawberries I see from the grocery store. And they bleed when I cut them. I posted some videos on Youtube under my name sdinpdx.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Video clip of my Marshall in the yard