Florida Strawberry Season: When and Where to Pick (2026-27)

Florida picks strawberries in winter, months before most of the country. The season runs from December through April, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture's harvest calendar. February and March are the best months to go.

When you can pick depends on where you are. South Florida fields open first, and the Panhandle is last. Below are the typical u-pick windows for each part of the state, the reason store season and u-pick season are not the same thing, and farms near each city.

• Florida strawberry season runs December through April. Peak picking is February and March.
• South and Southwest Florida open first, in late December or early January. The Panhandle is last, with picking mostly in April and May.
• Most of the crop grows around Plant City, east of Tampa. Big growers there may open for u-pick only late in the season.
• Dates move with the weather. Check the farm's update the morning you go.

Strawberry season in Florida is December through April. That is the window the state agriculture department lists for the crop. The University of Florida's gardening program says February and March are the peak months.

Most of the country picks later, in May and June. Our strawberry season by state guide has the dates for all 50 states.

Florida stretches more than 400 miles from north to south, so the season does not start everywhere at once. The windows below are our estimates. We put them together in November 2026 from the state's harvest calendar and the opening and closing dates that Florida farms have announced in recent seasons. A single farm is usually open for only part of its region's window.

Region	Typical U-Pick Season	Peak Picking
South Florida (Miami, Homestead, West Palm Beach)	Late December to March, sometimes April	January to March
Southwest Florida (Fort Myers, Naples)	Late December to March	January to March
Tampa Bay (Tampa, Plant City)	February to early April	February to March
Central Florida (Orlando, Clermont)	February to early April	February to March
North Central Florida (Gainesville, Ocala)	February to April, some into May	March to April
Northeast Florida (Jacksonville, St. Augustine)	February to April	March to April
Panhandle (Tallahassee, Pensacola; see all Florida farms)	April to May	April

These are the first fields to open. Frost is rare this far south, so picking can start in late December. It usually runs through March and sometimes into April. After that it is usually too hot.

This is the heart of Florida strawberry country. Most of the state's berries grow here, and so do most of the u-pick farms. Fields that are set up for visitors are often open by early February. By the first week of April 2026, several Tampa Bay farms had finished. The big commercial growers open to the public later, if they open at all.

Colder winter nights slow the plants down here. Most farms here open in February or March. In 2026, Brown's Farm in Hawthorne, east of Gainesville, planned to open its strawberry fields in mid to late March. Hoover Family Farms in Live Oak usually picks from February through the end of May.

The Panhandle is last. Local strawberries here are mostly an April and May crop, after most of the state has finished. U-pick strawberry farms are few in this part of the state, so call before you drive.

Strawberries cannot take a Florida summer. Florida farms grow them as annuals, which means each plant lasts a single season. The plants decline once the heat arrives, so the fields are replanted every fall.

Planting starts in mid September in North Florida and runs as late as early December in South Florida. The plants flower and fruit through the cool months, and the heat of late spring ends the season.

North Florida plants first but picks last. Its colder winter slows the plants, and frost can damage the flowers and fruit.

Most Florida strawberries come from one area: Plant City and Dover, in Hillsborough County just east of Tampa. A University of Florida report from February 2022 put the county's crop at about 11,000 acres. The report describes that as nearly half the farm acreage in the county and estimates the crop's yearly impact on Florida's economy at $300 million.

The Florida Strawberry Festival was first held in Plant City in 1930, started by the local Lions Club. The 2027 festival runs March 4 through March 14. That is peak season, so expect full parking lots at the farms and slow traffic on I-4.

You can see u-pick farms near Tampa and Plant City in our directory.

Florida strawberries are in grocery stores before most u-pick fields open. The commercial harvest around Tampa Bay runs from about November to March.

A field being harvested is not the same as a field being open to the public. Commercial farms pick for stores first. Those that offer u-pick may open their rows only late in the season, once the main harvest slows down. Farms that are set up for visitors open earlier. Keel Farms, for example, was already open for picking in early February 2025.

So the answer to "is it strawberry season?" is yes from December on. The answer to "can I pick today?" depends on the farm. Check before you drive.

• December: The first u-pick fields open in South and Southwest Florida late in the month. Supply is light, and farms may close for a few days between pickings.
• January: More farms open across South and Southwest Florida. Berries ripen slowly in the cool weather.
• February: Peak season begins. Farms around Tampa Bay and in Central Florida are open, and the first farms near Gainesville and Jacksonville start.
• March: The best month overall. Farms from Miami to Jacksonville are open, and Plant City holds its festival.
• April: The season winds down in South and Central Florida as the heat builds. Tampa Bay farms finish early in the month. North Central and Northeast Florida are still picking, and the Panhandle season is under way. Blueberry season starts, which the state lists as April and May.
• May: Only a few farms in North Central Florida and the Panhandle are still open.

The windows above are typical, not guaranteed.

Cold snaps. A frost or freeze can damage the flowers and fruit, and a field needs time to recover.

Rain. A wet week softens the berries and keeps visitors out of muddy fields.

Heat. A warm spell in March or April can end a farm's season early.

Picking pressure. A busy weekend can clean out a field. The farm then closes for a few days while new berries ripen.

Check the farm's Facebook page or website the same morning. That is where farms post whether the field is open and how the picking is.

Go early on a weekday if you can. Bring sunscreen and water, even in January. Pick berries that are fully red, because strawberries do not sweeten after they are picked.

For the rest, see our strawberry picking guide and our tips on how to store fresh-picked strawberries.

Our directory lists u-pick farms across the state. Start with the city nearest you:

• U-pick farms near Miami
• U-pick farms near West Palm Beach
• U-pick farms near Fort Myers
• U-pick farms near Tampa
• U-pick farms near Orlando
• U-pick farms near Gainesville
• U-pick farms near Jacksonville

Or search by ZIP code on our strawberry farms near me page, or browse every u-pick farm in Florida.

This guide is published by U-Pick Guide, a directory of pick-your-own farms, and written by the U-Pick Farms Team. We compiled the dates in November 2026 from the state's harvest calendar and the opening and closing dates that Florida farms have announced in recent seasons. The farm dates come from about a dozen farms' announcements in recent seasons, mostly 2025 and 2026. We had few farm dates for Southwest and Central Florida, so those two rows follow their neighbors, South Florida and Tampa Bay. The regional windows are estimates. Farms announce their opening days only a few weeks ahead, so use this guide to plan and confirm the date with the farm. You can read more about us.

What is the best month to pick strawberries in Florida?

March. Farms from Miami to Jacksonville are open and the weather is mild. February is a close second in South and Central Florida. In the Panhandle, wait for April.

Can you pick strawberries in Florida in December?

Sometimes. A few farms in South and Southwest Florida open in late December when the weather cooperates. Farms in the rest of the state mostly open in February or later.

When does strawberry picking start in Plant City?

Plant City growers begin harvesting for stores in late fall. U-pick fields are often open by early February, and the large commercial growers that offer it may open to the public only late in the season.

When does strawberry season end in Florida?

South and Central Florida farms usually finish in late March or early April, when it gets too hot. Some farms in North Central Florida and the Panhandle keep picking into May.

When is the Florida Strawberry Festival?

The 2027 Florida Strawberry Festival runs from March 4 through March 14 in Plant City. The festival was first held in 1930.

Is strawberry season the same as blueberry season in Florida?

No. Blueberries come right after strawberries. The state lists blueberry season as April and May, so in April you can sometimes pick both on the same trip.