Fragaria x ananassa

A fast-growing perennial strawberry reaching 0.3 m (1 ft) tall, hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers appear from May to July with seeds ripening June to August. The plant is hermaphroditic and self-fertile, pollinated by insects and noted for attracting wildlife. It grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage, tolerating mildly acid to basic pH. Can thrive in semi-shade or full sun and prefers consistently moist soil. Some cultivars produce fruit up to 3 cm in diameter.

Description

A herb which keeps growing from year to year. The stems are short. The leaves occur in a ring and the plant has runners with new rings of leaves. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk is 1.5 cm long. They have soft hairs. The leaflets can be 1.8-7 cm long by 1.3-6 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. The flowering shoots are up to 26 cm long. There can be 16 flowers on branches that divided into 2 at each joint. The false fruits are round or oval and 4.5 cm long by 5.5 cm wide. There are many cultivated varieties.

Edible Uses

The fruit of the best cultivars is sweet and succulent with an exquisite flavour; some cultivars produce fruit up to 3cm in diameter. Young leaves can also be eaten raw.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used in desserts. They are also used in jams, preserves and for flavouring.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It suits temperate and subtropical locations. It can be grown in the highlands in tropical regions. It can be grown in semi-shade or full sun. In India it grows between 1,000-2,300 m altitude. A pH of 5.7-6.5 is best. There are short day and long day varieties. In Malawi they are grown over 900 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 3-10.

Where It Grows

Africa, Albania, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Brazil, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Cuba, East Africa, Ethiopia, Europe*, Finland, France, Georgia, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mediterranean, Mexico, Monaco, Niger, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Poland, Sahel, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Sikkim, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Thailand, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced when plants grow in such a position. Strawberries appreciate a mulch of pine or spruce leaves. The strawberry is widely cultivated in temperate areas for its edible fruit, there are many named varieties that can supply fruit from late spring (under cloches) to late autumn. Most strawberry varieties are day-length sensitive and only flower at certain times of the year. However, a number of cultivars have been selected that are not sensitive to day-length and can produce fruit for most of the summer. These cultivars are normally referred to as 'remontants'. The blossom can be damaged by late spring frosts. Oat straw should not be used as a mulch since this can infect the strawberries with stem and bulb eelworm. Strawberry plants are very subject to virus diseases, these are usually spread by an aphid. Plants tend to degenerate after a few years and need to be replaced. Seed is a safe means of propagation though, since this species is of hybrid origin, the seed will not breed true. Strawberries are a good companion plant, growing well with bush beans, spinach, borage, lettuce and pyrethrum. Strawberries are typically harvested in late spring to early summer, depending on the variety and climate. Strawberries usually flower in spring. Strawberries grow relatively quickly, with plants producing fruit within the first year of planting, especially when propagated through runners. The hybrid formula is F. chiloensis × F. virginiana.

Propagation

Sow seed in early spring in a greenhouse; germination can take 4 weeks or more. Seedlings start very small and slow-growing before picking up pace. Prick out into individual pots when large enough and plant out during summer. Note that this is a hybrid species and seed will not breed true — growing from seed is the only way to develop new varieties. Divide runners in July/August for best establishment before the following year's crop. They can be moved the following spring if needed, but should not be allowed to fruit in their first year. Runners can be planted directly into permanent positions.

Other Uses

Strawberries can serve as ground cover to help prevent soil erosion and can be integrated into mixed cropping systems to enhance biodiversity. The plant acts as a dynamic accumulator, gathering minerals and nutrients from the soil in a more bioavailable form for use as fertilizer or mulch. Flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The fruit provides food for birds and other wildlife, while the plants offer ground-level habitat and shelter for invertebrates, with leaf litter contributing to habitat diversity.

Production

There can be 200 g of fruit per plant. Normally plants only produce for 4-5 years. The time from transplanting to first harvest takes 6 months at 1600 m.

Other Information

In Papua New Guinea, being planted and becoming more common in the highlands.

Notes

There are 12 Fragaria species. The garden strawberry is a natural cross between Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana. These both have 8 sets of chromosomes.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Arben, Cao mei, Dau tay, Erdbeere, Fragola, Fraisier, Fresa, Ichigo, Morango, Stroboeri, Sutoroberii

References (39)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 227 (As Fragaria chiloensis)
• Bernholt, H. et al, 2009, Plant species richness and diversity in urban and peri-urban gardens of Niamey, Niger. Agroforestry Systems 77:159-179
• Bourke, R. M., Altitudinal limits of 230 economic crop species in Papua New Guinea. Terra australis 32.
• Brown, D., 2002, The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Herbs and their uses. DK Books. p 216
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 14

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