Benton is a June-bearing strawberry with ripe berries the first week of June in the PNW and a steady supply of berries into July. The leaves are evergreen and grow very upright held about a foot off the ground making it very easy to spot berries. The slugs don't prefer Benton to my other strawberries, maybe because the leaves are too tall to provide enough shade to hide in. The berries themselves are medium to large, conical, and sweet with a tart finish. They don't get too soft and store well for a couple days in the fridge.

It's not the most delicious strawberry (I'm not a huge fan of the tartness) but it's a very hardy (down to -10°F) and vigorous plant. Benton is said to be virus tolerant and tolerant to red stele. I found that to be true, I never have any virus or fungus problems, no die off, and the runners set up a very nice patch for the next season. They seem very drought tolerant, I only water mine a few times all summer, and also don't appear to be bothered by the soggy ground during our 9 month rainy season. I like to let the runners root under my apple and cherry trees for some leafy groundcover through winter. All around a low-maintenance and great performing berry for me.

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