Strawberry Moon

What Is Strawberry Moon?

The Strawberry Moon is the name for the full moon in June, traditionally tied to the strawberry harvesting season by Native American tribes.

Strawberry Moon Color?

Despite the name, the moon doesn’t appear red or pink—its color is usually the same as any full moon unless influenced by atmospheric conditions.

When to See the Full Moon in June 2025

June’s full Moon will reach peak illumination on June 11 at 3:44 A.M. Eastern Time. 

Why Is It Called Strawberry Moon?

The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from many places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Historically, names for the full or new Moons were used to track the seasons.

June’s full Moon—typically the last full Moon of spring or the first of summer—has traditionally been called the Strawberry Moon. While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance, despite the evocative imagery (shown in the artist rendering below). A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere.

This “Strawberry Moon” name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many.

Alternative June Moon Names

Over time, many cultures have used different names for the 12 full moons experienced each year. Usually, they’re not based on color but on a common activity that takes place that time of year. 

Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe) is indicative of the flowering season, while Green Corn Moon (Cherokee) and Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki) suggest that it’s time to tend to young crops.

Other names highlight that this is a time of new life: The Tlingit have used the term Birth Moon, referring to the time when certain animals are born in their region (the Pacific Northwest). Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon are Cree terms that also hint at a time when many animal babies were born.