Strawberry plant named ‘GF Midnight’

[0001] Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Botanical classification: Fragaria x ananassa.

[0002] Variety denomination: The new strawberry denomination is ‘GF Midnight’.

[0003] The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘GF Midnight’. This new day neutral strawberry variety is the result of a controlled cross in an ongoing breeding program made in 2016. The controlled cross, which resulted in the ‘GF Midnight’ variety was between a strawberry variety designated ‘101P26’, (unpatented), and a strawberry variety designated ‘012K65’, (unpatented).

[0004] The controlled cross was carried out in Redding, California, USA. Pollen taken from the field or greenhouse of a ‘012K65’ plant pollinated a female ‘101P26’ plant in a greenhouse. The flowers were emasculated to remove all other pollen sources, and so that no other pollen could contaminate the procedure.

[0005] Strawberries developed, were harvested and the seeds resulting from this cross were extracted and germinated in a greenhouse in Redding, California, USA. The resulting seedlings were transplanted to Shastina, California in 2017, grown for an additional period and allowed to propagate asexually via stolons. Plants were then harvested and planted in breeding test plots in early to mid-October in: Oxnard, California (Ventura County); and slightly later in Moss Landing, California (Monterey County). The selection of the new variety was first made in Moss Landing, California, and designated ‘088W02’ in 2017. This selection was later named ‘GF Midnight’. The new variety was further propagated asexually by stolons in breeding plots in: Macdoel, California (Siskiyou County); and Manteca, California (San Joaquin County).

[0006] The new variety has also been “meristemed.” Small pieces of plant material (approximately 0.5 mm in diameter), consisting of the undifferentiated meristem tissue and one or two leaf primordia, were removed from the buds on crowns of young daughter plants, then placed on nutrient medium, and new plants were grown from them. Planting stock from the “meristemed” plants are growing in a screenhouse located in Redding, California.

[0007] The propagules of ‘GF Midnight’ are identical to the original plant in all distinguishing characteristics: accordingly, the propagation has demonstrated that the traits disclosed herein remain fixed and true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

[0008] ‘GF Midnight’ produces very high quality, large, exceptionally firm berries, which are attractive with their glossy dark red appearance, and which have a complex, sophisticated flavor. The primary market for the ‘GF Midnight’ variety is for fresh market. The berries produced by the ‘GF Midnight’ variety maintain stable production throughout the season, enabling growers to capitalize on consistent market opportunities. The compact plant architecture with low density canopy allows for more airflow, better spray coverage, and more visible fruit for ease of picking.

[0009] The female parent, ‘101P26’, is a day neutral (DN) variety characterized as a moderately vigorous plant which produces medium to large, elongated fruit with good flavor. The male pollen parent, ‘012K65’, is also a day neutral plant, characterized by large, semi-firm, rounded/conical fruit which has a very dark red exterior and interior color but with little glossiness, and a complex and exceptional flavor. Plants of ‘012K65’ are of moderate vigor, with moderately dense foliage.

[0010] ‘GF Midnight’ is a day-neutral variety exhibiting the following combination of characteristics, which have been observed repeatedly, and which distinguish this strawberry plant as a new and distinct variety:

• • [0011] 1. The variety produces medium to large sized, exceptionally firm fruit;
  • [0012] 2. The fruit exhibits an attractive, glossy dark red exterior;
  • [0013] 3. The fruit demonstrates a complex flavor profile with balanced sweetness;
  • [0014] 4. The variety produces a high volume of marketable fruit with stable production throughout the season;
  • [0015] 5. The flowers extend upright above the canopy, facilitating pollination and harvest visibility; and,
  • [0016] 6. The variety performs exceptionally well in cool, coastal environments.

[0017] ‘GF Midnight’ fruit demonstrates characteristics and qualities that are highly desired by fresh market strawberry operations. The exceptional firmness provides superior shelf life and shipping durability, critical factors for commercial fresh market success. The complex flavor profile delivers a more sophisticated taste experience than typical commercial varieties. The glossy dark red appearance provides visual appeal while the firm texture maintains quality during transport and storage. Its open-canopy plant architecture with upright flowering facilitates harvesting operations, while the lower leaf density allows for efficient spray coverage and rapid drying after precipitation events. The stable, high-volume production throughout the season, combined with strong disease tolerance, makes ‘GF Midnight’ particularly well-suited for commercial cultivation in cool, coastal growing regions.

[0026] ‘GF Midnight’ is a new and distinct variety of strawberry, known scientifically as Fragaria x ananassa. It is the result of a cross between its female parent, ‘101P26’, and its male parent ‘012K65’. Both ‘101P26’ and 012K65 are day neutral, as is ‘GF Midnight’ Plants of ‘GF Midnight’ bloom consistently in our high elevation nursery and maintain flowering even in the heat of our low elevation nursery location in Manteca, CA, demonstrating strong day neutral characteristics. The plants of the new variety have moderate vigor and maintain an open architecture during the growing season. ‘GF Midnight’ exhibits several characteristics which are improvements over one or both of its parent varieties, and other known cultivars. The characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’ were observed in plants aged about 8 months from planting in the fruiting field. These characteristics and comparisons with other cultivars are discussed following.

[0027] The fruit size of ‘GF Midnight’ falls in between that of its parents, slightly larger than that of ‘101P26’, and slightly larger than that of ‘012K65’. The size of fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ is larger during the beginning of the season and slightly decreases at the end but maintains an ideal size range for the fresh market. The fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ also extends away from the plant on longer pedicels to allow for highly visible fruit and ease of picking, whereas fruit of ‘012K65’ tends to be more hidden under its denser canopy.

[0028] ‘GF Midnight’ produces mostly conical fruit, similar to that of the slightly more rounded/conical ‘012K65’, and contrasts the elongated fruit of ‘101P26’. The fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ generally ripens evenly from the tip to the shoulders of the berry, resulting in a uniform dark red color over the whole fruit, but has a propensity of developing a seedy tip or a green tip in certain conditions. In contrast, the fruit of ‘101P26’ often has a shoulder that does not ripen all the way to the calyx, and fruit of ‘012K65’ rarely has any seedy tips or shoulder issues. The fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ is mostly absent of creases and is generally smooth and has a firmness that is firmer than its two parents.

[0029] The data set forth for ‘GF Midnight’ in Tables 1, 2, and 3 was collected in June 2025 from plants grown at a test plot in Moss Landing, Monterey County, California. Color terminology where noted herein was measured using a handheld Konica Minolta CR-400 colorimeter.

[0030] In Table 1, the observed characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’ are set forth.

[0031]

TABLE 1
Detailed Description of Characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’
SPECIFI-
CATION:
	Genus/Species	Fragaria X ananassa
	Market Name	Strawberry
PARENTS:
	Female	‘101P26’ (Unpatented)
	Male	‘012K65’ (Unpatented)
PLANT:
	Type	Day Neutral
	Growth Habit	Upright
	Foliage density	Low
	Vigor	Moderate
	Height	Average 36.4 cm; range 31.5 cm
		to 40.9 cm
	Width	Average 39.5 cm; range 37.2 cm
		to 41.8 cm
	Crowns	Multiple crowns produced
		throughout season
	Disease	Good tolerance to Fusarium
	tolerance	Moderate tolerance to Macro-
		phomina
		Good tolerance to Powdery
		mildew
		Moderate tolerance to
		Verticillium wilt
LEAF:
	Width	Average 13.9 cm; range 13.4 cm
		to 14.4 cm
	Color	Adaxial surface: L*, a*, b *:
		36.77, −15.78, 21.60
		Abaxial surface: L*, a*, b *:
		46.97, −14.51 21.74
	Pubescence	Low density
	Inter-vein	Slight
	blistering
	Glossiness	Slight
	Variegation	None
TERMINAL
LEAFLET:
	Length	Average 84.0 mm; range
		77.0 mm to 86.0 mm
	Width	Average 68.0 mm; range
		65.0 mm to 74.0 mm
	Ratio Length	1.23
	to width
	Margins	Entire to crenate
	Leaf shape	Obovate
	Base shape	Cuneate
	Cross-section	Concave to convex
	shape
PETIOLE:
	Pubescence	Slight
	Petiole color	L*, a*, b *: 48.98, −11.69, 28.44
	Petiole length	Average 24.9 cm; range 20.4 cm
		to 27.5 cm
	Petiole diameter	Average 2.95 mm; range
		2.66 mm to 3.08 mm
STIPULE:
	Anthocyanin	Slight
	coloration
	Length	Average 14.5 mm; range
		14.27 mm to 17.51 mm
	Width	Average 7.59 mm; range 7.4 mm
		to 8.4 mm
STOLON:
	Anthocyanin	Present, slight
	coloration
	Pubescence	Slight, fine
	Diameter	Average 3.64 mm; range 2.8 mm
		to 3.76 mm
INFLOR-
ESCENCE:	Flowering time	Early
	Position	Above canopy
	Number of	Average 5.0; range 4 to 5
	blooms
	Length	Average 38.6 cm; range 34.7 cm
		to 40.2 cm
	Flower diameter	Average 27.0 mm; range
		26.0 mm to 29.0 mm
	Petal arrange-	Overlapping to separate
	ment
	Petal number	Average 6.0; range 5 to 7
	Petal length	Average 11.92 mm; range
		9.49 mm to 12.42 mm
	Petal width	Average 11.78 mm; range
		10.85 mm to 12.01 mm
	Ratio Length	1.01
	to width
	Petal color	L*, a*, b *: 74.74, -1.79, 4.57
	Calyx	Larger than the corolla
	Calyx color	L*, a*, b *: 39.76, −15.49, 25.31
	(adaxial)
	Calyx color	L*, a*, b *: 47.19, −14.20, 23.51
	(abaxial)
	Stamens	Average 30.0; range 30 to 36
	Pedicel	Attitude of hairs mostly perpen-
		dicular
FRUIT:
	Bearing	Day neutral
	Shape	Conic
	Weight	Seasonal average: 27.0 g
	Achenes	Acutely below fruit surface
	Glossiness	High
	External color	L*, a*, b *: 23.21, 26.86, 10.04
	Internal color	L*, a*, b *: 56.02, 27.87, 28.05
	Evenness of	Mostly even
	external color
	Width of band	Slight
	at top devoid
	of achenes
	Yield	Approximate grams per plant:
		1,230 g
	Firmness	Very firm
	% Brix	Average: 8.3; range 6.4 to 10.27

[0032] The comparison statistics set forth in the following tables are with respect to characteristics observed at mid-season. All measurements for ‘GF Midnight’ were taken at a test plot in Moss Landing, Monterey County, California during 2025. In Tables 2 and 3, the characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’ are compared with historical data of patented varieties ‘Ashley Jay’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,637) and ‘GF Belle’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 36,984).

[0033] The form and structure of the plants of ‘GF Midnight’ are similar in height to that of ‘Ashley Jay’ and slightly larger than ‘GF Belle’. The plant spread of ‘GF Midnight’ is smaller than that of either ‘GF Belle’ or ‘Ashley Jay’. The canopy of ‘GF Midnight’ is much more open than that of ‘Ashley Jay’ and similar to that of ‘GF Belle’. The leaf surface of ‘GF Midnight’ shows a slight blistering, on par with that of ‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’. The glossiness of the leaves of ‘GF Midnight’ is less glossy than that of ‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’. The petioles of ‘GF Midnight’ are notably thinner than both comparison varieties.

[0034] In Table 2, comparative data for foliar characteristics are presented for ‘GF Midnight’ and historical data of two comparison cultivars, ‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’.

[0035]

TABLE 2
Foliar Characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’ Compared-
‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’
Foliar		Cultivar
Characteristics		‘GF Belle’	‘Ashley Jay’
Plant height (mm)	Average	323	369
	Range	284-358	330-410
Plant spread (mm)	Average	426	515
	Range	418-461	460-570
Leaf width (mm)	Average	142	152
	Range	127-153	135-167
Mid-tier leaflet	Average	100.5	96
length (mm)	Range	81.9-115.1	81-115
Mid-tier leaflet	Average	88.2	88
width (mm)	Range	77.3-108.1	69-104
Petiole length	Average	290	281
(mm)	Range	282-301	250-308
Petiole diameter	Average	4.33	4.59
(mm)	Range	3.87-4.81	3.72-5.81
Number leaflets		3	3
per leaf
Leaf convexity		Concave	Slight concave
Shape leaflet base		Obtuse	Cuneate
Leaf pubescence		Low density	Medium density
Petiole pubescence		Low density	Slight
Stipule length	Average	13.3	15.42
(mm)	Range	11.8-15.1	9.7-19.3
Stipule antho-		Slight	Slight
cyanin coloration
Leaf margins		Crenate	Crenate
Leaf color adaxial		36.69, −13.89,	36.69, −13.89,
surface (L*, a*, b*)		20.07	20.07
Leaf color abaxial		53.87, −13.74,	53.87, −13.74,
surface (L*, a*, b*)		22.74	22.74
Petiole color		54.10, −10.69,	53.10, −13.59,
(L*, a*, b*)		23.19	31.10
Leaf surface		Slight	Slight
blistering
Leaf surface		Moderate	Moderate
glossiness
	Foliar		Cultivar
	Characteristics		GF Midnight’
	Plant height (mm)	Average	364
		Range	315-409
	Plant spread (mm)	Average	395
		Range	372-418
	Leaf width (mm)	Average	139
		Range	134-144
	Mid-tier leaflet	Average	84
	length (mm)	Range	77-86
	Mid-tier leaflet	Average	68
	width (mm)	Range	65.0-74.0
	Petiole length	Average	249
	(mm)	Range	204-275
	Petiole diameter	Average	2.95
	(mm)	Range	2.66-3.08
	Number leaflets		3
	per leaf
	Leaf convexity		Concave to
			convex
	Shape leaflet base		Cuneate
	Leaf pubescence		Low density
	Petiole pubescence		Slight
	Stipule length	Average	14.5
	(mm)	Range	14.27-17.51
	Stipule antho-		Present, slight
	cyanin coloration
	Leaf margins		Entire to crenate
	Leaf color adaxial		32.67, −13.02,
	surface (L*, a*, b*)		18.02
	Leaf color abaxial		49.88, −13.00,
	surface (L*, a*, b*)		22.74
	Petiole color		48.98, −11.69,
	(L*, a*, b*)		28.44
	Leaf surface		Slight
	blistering
	Leaf surface		Slight
	glossiness

[0036] ‘GF Midnight’ is a day-neutral variety that produces flowers continuously throughout the growing season under cool, coastal climate conditions. ‘GF Midnight’ has longer pedicel length than the other two varieties, which means the flowers and fruit are held further away from the plant canopy, facilitating better air circulation and easier harvesting access. When compared to their individual plant size, all three varieties produce flowers that are near or above the canopy level, leaving flowers exposed to pollinators, with ‘GF Midnight’ having most flowers exposed. The dark red exterior color of the fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ is distinctly darker than both ‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’. The fruit of ‘GF Midnight’ has excellent culinary qualities, including good firmness, size, attractive dark red glossy color, and a complex flavor profile.

[0037] In Table 3, comparative data for flower and fruit characteristics for ‘Ashley Jay’, ‘GF Belle’, and ‘GF Midnight’, are set forth.

[0038]

TABLE 3
Flower and Fruit Characteristics of ‘GF Midnight’ Compared
to ‘Ashley Jay’ and ‘GF Belle’
		Cultivar
				‘GF
Characteristic		‘GF Belle’	‘Ashley Jay’	Midnight’
Petal number		5-8	5-8	5-7
Petal length	Average	12.8	12.39	11.92
(mm)	Range	9.83-14.9	9.74-15.28	9.49-12.42
Petal width	Average	11.9	12.27	11.78
(mm)	Range	9.1-13.9	9.24-14.93	10.85-12.01
Position of		Most	Most even	Most
flower (rel-		exposed		exposed
ative to
foliage)
Pedicel length	Average	372	336	386
(mm)	Range	342-431	270-422	347-402
Sepal color	(L*, a*,	34.88,	31.55,	39.76,
(adaxial)	b*)	−12.31,	−10.36,	−15.49,
		15.90	13.26	25.31
Sepal color	(L*, a*,	50.50,	43.01,	47.19,
(abaxial)	b*)	−13.45,	−14.20,	−14.20,
		10.31	21.77	23.51
Flower dia-	Average	28.18	25.8	27.0
meter (mm)	Range	23.5-34.2	22.4-29.1	26.0-29.0
Fruit color	(L*, a*,	33.86, 33.08,	40.99, 41.96,	23.21, 26.86,
(external)	b*)	19.62	29.56	10.04
Fruit color	(L*, a*,	49.39, 35.64,	54.75, 34.16,	56.02, 27.87,
(internal)	b*)	35.72	37.50	28.05