Florida Ember™ Short Day Strawberry

Ember is an innovative short day strawberry cultivar from UF/IFAS that shines in USDA zones 7 to 9, offering early season fruiting from October plantings with consistent yields peaking in the southern winter and spring, producing medium sized, RHS 45A glossy red berries that average 20g to 25g in weight and boast a sweet, flavourful profile similar to Medallion. The robust, compact plants of 8 to 10 inches tall and 12 to 16 inches wide thrive in open field systems and excel in organic growing setups with moderate vigour for easy management and high early output. This strawberry variety features one of the strongest disease resistance packages, including reduced susceptibility to neopestalotiopsis especially on the fruit, moderate resistance to anthracnose, charcoal rot, crown rot, and botrytis, making it resilient in rainy or humid conditions without heavy fungicide needs. The berries combine rain tolerance with firm texture and 8 to 9 °Brix sweetness, ensuring 7 to 10 days shelf life for fresh markets or shipping. Compared to Brilliance, Ember offers superior flavour and organic adaptability, though it performs best in open fields rather than tunnels. This healthy gem is a vibrant short day standout with bright red, rain resistant strawberries, with exceptional sweetness, and robust disease tolerance, ideal for organic production and steady early yields whether you are a local or overseas grower prioritizing disease resistance or seeking flavourful, reliable fruit, Ember strawberry plants deliver quality and productivity.