Plan compatible pollination partners, compare varieties, and understand flowering compatibility for apples, pears, plums, blueberries, cherries, and more.
Step 1
Choose a fruit type
Start here. The helper uses different rules for apples, plums, blueberries, kiwis, and other fruit groups.
41 options available.
Type to narrow the list.
Selected fruit
Strawberry
13 tracked varieties
All strawberry varieties are self-fertile. The main planning distinction is crop type: June-bearing varieties produce one concentrated 2 to 3 week harvest in late spring or early summer; everbearing varieties give two main flushes (spring and fall); day-neutral varieties fruit continuously whenever temperatures stay between 35 and 85 degrees. All types require bee visitation for well-formed fruit - without pollinators, berries can be small and misshapen even if fruit sets.
Strawberries need pollinating insects. Keep a varied planting nearby to support bee activity throughout the fruiting season.
Step 2
Choose what you want to check
Current goal
Single variety
Choose one variety and Willowbottom will show the best pollination partners.
Step 3
Choose your variety
Choose one variety to see the strongest pollination partners.
13 options available.
Type to narrow the list.
Optional direct pair check.
12 options available.
Type to narrow the list.
Used to sort matches and flag climate cautions.
Pick a variety first, then scroll to Step 4 for ranked partners, warnings, and the optional pair check.
Step 4
See recommendations
Selected variety
Sparkle
June-bearing
Late bloom - late season
Can fruit alone, but still benefits from a partnerPartner guidance included
Bloom timing
Bloom group late-season - late season.
What to do
Strawberries are self-fertile but require bee visitation for well-formed fruit. A second variety extends the harvest window and keeps pollinators active in the bed longer.
About this variety
Sparkle is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with soft, juicy flesh and medium fruit. Choose it for jam, preserves, and late-season June berries with the most intense cooking flavor, but skip it if you want fresh transport or u-pick - Sparkle is soft and fragile; it falls apart if not used the same day it is picked. It usually ripens around late June.
This shows compatible pollinators. Choose based on flavor and harvest timing.
Usually grown in USDA zones 3-8.
Sparkle can fruit alone, but it still benefits from a partner. Strawberries are self-fertile but require bee visitation for well-formed fruit. A second variety extends the harvest window and keeps pollinators active in the bed longer. It flowers in bloom group late-season, which is late season, which is worth knowing if you add a second tree later. Usually grown in USDA zones 3-8.
No single variety stands out as the obvious partner, but that is not a problem here: Allstar all bloom close enough to work. Pick whichever your nursery actually carries. Strawberries need pollinating insects. Keep a varied planting nearby to support bee activity throughout the fruiting season.
To put that into practice: at a minimum, one variety produces fully, but plan for at least 6 plants per person since individual plants yield modestly. Better still, mix one June-bearing variety for a concentrated harvest and one day-neutral for continuous production throughout the growing season. Any single variety will produce fully. Deformed or seedy berries usually signal poor bee access, not a pollination partner problem.
Good backups
These are still useful choices when the very best option is not available at your nursery.
Allstar
June-bearing
Mid bloom - late season
Good backup
Blooms close enough to overlap in many home plantings. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownNearby bloom window
Why choose this?
Allstar is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. Choose it for cold northern gardens, late-season June production, and mixed beds where disease resistance matters, but skip it if you want peak flavor intensity - Allstar is mild and consistent; Earliglow or Jewel are better choices for the best-tasting harvest. It usually ripens around late June, in the middle of this group.
Compatible but less ideal
These can still help, but they have more tradeoffs around timing, fit, or pollination strength.
Albion
Day-neutral
Mid bloom - continuous production
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Albion is very sweet with low acidity and real depth, with firm, dense flesh and very large fruit. In this group, this is one of the sweetest and richest picks. Choose it for fresh eating, farmers markets, and warm-climate continuous production from spring through fall, but skip it if you want cold-climate zones below 5 or very hot summers above 90 degrees - Albion performs best in mild to warm climates where temperatures stay in the sweet spot. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Cavendish
June-bearing
Mid bloom - mid season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Cavendish is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for cold northern gardens (zones 3 to 5), fresh eating, and mixed plantings where reliable mid-season crops are the priority, but skip it if you want warm-climate gardens - Cavendish is bred for cold hardiness and is less suited to zones 7 and above. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Chandler
June-bearing
Mid bloom - mid season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Chandler is sweet with light acidity and aromatic lift, with firm, dense flesh and very large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for warm-climate gardens (zones 6 to 8), the largest possible June-bearing berry, and fresh-market presentations, but skip it if you want cold-climate gardens - Chandler does not handle hard winters well and is not suitable for zones 3 to 5 without significant protection. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Earliglow
June-bearing
Early bloom - early season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Earliglow is sweet with light acidity and aromatic lift, with soft, juicy flesh and small fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating immediately after picking, jam, and gardens where flavor intensity matters more than size or handling, but skip it if you want u-pick operations or large, firm, shippable fruit - Earliglow berries are small, soft, and do not hold up to rough handling. It usually ripens around mid to late May, earlier than most of the others shown.
Evie-2
Day-neutral
Mid bloom - continuous production
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Evie-2 is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and medium fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for northern day-neutral growers (zones 4 to 6) who need a heat-tolerant continuous producer where Albion underperforms in summer, but skip it if you want warm climates where Albion or Seascape are the proven choices - Evie-2 fills a specific cool-summer niche. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Honeoye
June-bearing
Early bloom - early season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Honeoye is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for u-pick operations, cold climates (zone 3 with mulching), and reliable large yields over peak flavor, but skip it if you want fresh eating connoisseurs who want the most intense flavor - Earliglow beats Honeoye on taste; Honeoye beats Earliglow on size and yield. It usually ripens around mid to late May, earlier than most of the others shown.
Jewel
June-bearing
Mid bloom - mid season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Jewel is sweet with a soft acidic lift, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for northeastern home gardens, u-pick operations, and the time-tested standard for the region, but skip it if you want growers in the Pacific Northwest or warm climates - Jewel is optimized for northeastern growing conditions. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Kent
June-bearing
Mid bloom - mid season
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Kent is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for northern gardens (zones 3 to 5), u-pick, and fresh eating where large cold-hardy berries are the goal, but skip it if you want warm southern climates - Kent is bred for cold performance and less suited to zones 7 and above. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Ozark Beauty
Everbearing
Mid bloom - spring and fall flushes
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Ozark Beauty is sweet with light acidity and aromatic lift, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for cold northern gardens (zone 3 with mulching), two distinct harvest events rather than constant picking, and classic American home garden strawberry beds, but skip it if you want continuous production all season - Ozark Beauty is an everbearing (two flushes), not a day-neutral (continuous); in midsummer it largely stops producing. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Quinault
Everbearing
Mid bloom - spring and fall flushes
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Quinault is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with soft, juicy flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for fresh eating at home and the classic large everbearing berry without fussing over day-neutral management, but skip it if you want disease-prone sites or long shelf life - Quinault is less disease-resistant than modern varieties and soft berries do not hold. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Seascape
Day-neutral
Mid bloom - continuous production
Less ideal
Bloom timing is not a strong match. Zone fit is unknown or not a major tie-breaker here.
Zone unknownWeak bloom overlap
Why choose this?
Seascape is sweet with just enough acidity to stay lively, with firm, dense flesh and large fruit. In this group, this brings more acidity and bite than most of the others shown. Choose it for Pacific Northwest home gardens, heat-tolerant continuous production, and a reliable day-neutral with proven performance, but skip it if you want very cold gardens - Seascape is hardy to zone 4 but performs best in zones 6 to 9 where Pacific NW breeding shows best. It usually ripens around early to mid June, later than most of the others shown.
Minimum planting guidance
Use the minimum, ideal, and fallback plan to size the planting to your space and goals.
Minimum setup
One variety produces fully, but plan for at least 6 plants per person since individual plants yield modestly.
Ideal setup
Mix one June-bearing variety for a concentrated harvest and one day-neutral for continuous production throughout the growing season.
Fallback plan
Any single variety will produce fully. Deformed or seedy berries usually signal poor bee access, not a pollination partner problem.
Important notes
These notes keep the key cautions and practical details easy to scan.
Helpful notes
Strawberries need pollinating insects. Keep a varied planting nearby to support bee activity throughout the fruiting season.
