Wild Strawberry (Fragaria Virginiana)

Home , Fragaria, Fragaria vesca, Fragaria virginiana, Strawberry

2020 June Featured Plant

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) STATEWIDE Family: Rose WETLAND (Rosaceae) INDICATOR STATUS: FACU DESCRIPTION: Coexisting with native grasses, sedges and ID: Radial flowers wildflowers, wild strawberry is a composed of versatile groundcover for native five round or gardens and restorations. Its oval petals oval, white flowers bloom April bloom on stalks through June; its leaves provide that are usually reddish fall color. Tolerating shorter than the a range of environmental leaves. Trifoliate conditions, it’s common across basal leaves Minnesota and eastern North are palmately compound and America, preferring dry, open toothed. Teeth fields, prairies, meadows and at leaves’ tips References woodland edges. are smaller than those on either Flora of North America: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501276 USES: The fruit is highly side. Plants Illinois Wildflowers: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/rue_anemone.htm desirable to humans, and a good Photo Credit: Metro Blooms grow up to 8 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=THTH2 source of vitamin C. Wildlife eat inches tall. Minnesota Wildflowers: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/rue-anemone the fruit, leaves and other plant USDA Plants Database: https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=THTH2 parts. Pollinators — including SIMILAR SPECIES: the skipper family of butterflies Planting Recommendations Woodland and several fly, bee, moth and The species is a popular sun to partial shade and rich, strawberry wasp species — feed on flowers’ choice as an edging plant or well-drained soil. Containerized (Fragaria vesca) nectar and pollen. A tea made flowers rise from the leaves and roots has as a groundcover mixed with plants are available from native above the leaves. been used to treat intestine, wildflowers such as violets, plant nurseries. Hybrid varieties Pointed, green kidney and liver ailments. Jacob’s ladder and bluebells. crossed with a species from the sepals may Spreading by stolons (above- Pacific Coast of North America extend beyond REFERENCES: ground runners) and rhizomes, and South America are cultivated petals. Teeth at Minnesota Wildflowers new plants form clumps just for mass consumption. Lightly leaflets’ tips are Illinois Wildflowers above the soil surface. As new covering the soil around plants similar in size, growth appears in early spring, with straw or shredded leaves can often extending beyond adjacent plants can be dug up and help plants retain moisture and teeth. The larger, transplanted into areas of full adapt to their new surroundings. egg-shaped fruit may be Developed by Dan Shaw tasteless. The seeds (achenes) Dan Shaw is the senior ecologist and vegetation are on the specialist at BWSR, where he has coordinated surface instead conservation programs focused on native vegetation of pitted. establishment, invasive species management, pollinator habitat, habitat-friendly solar, water management and Range Map Credit: NRCS Plants resiliency to climate change. Database Shaw