Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca, L. 1753)

Identity

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L., 1753) is a small herbaceous perennial in the Rosaceae and the genus Fragaria. This widespread Northern Hemisphere wild strawberry is grown and gathered for its intensely fragrant little red fruits. ^{1 4}

Low creeping clumps carpet the soil in gardens and spread by runners. Compared with the cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), woodland strawberry has a smaller stature and smaller, more aromatic fruit. ^{2 3}

Recognition

Light green trifoliate leaves grow on long stalks, with clearly toothed leaflets and prominent veins. The plant forms a ground-hugging rosette, only 5–30 cm (2–12 in) high. ^{3 7}

Numerous reddish runners, or stolons, creep across the ground and root some distance away to form new plants. Five-petaled white flowers, 12–18 mm (0.5–0.7 in) across with yellow centers, appear from spring into early summer. ^{2 5}

The familiar little red strawberry sits upright or hangs slightly, with tiny raised grains on its surface. Those grains, the achenes, are the true fruits; the red flesh is a swollen receptacle. ^{4 7}

Useful taxonomy

Linnaeus described woodland strawberry in 1753 as Fragaria vesca L. The Latin epithet vesca means edible, recalling its long use as food. Older names and infraspecific names still encountered include:

• Potentilla vesca (L.) Scop., an older synonym
• Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca, the typical subspecies
• Fragaria vesca subsp. americana (Porter) Staudt, a subspecies name
• Fragaria vesca var. alba (Weston) Rydb., a variety name
• Fragaria sylvestris auct., a name used by earlier authors

The accepted scientific name, Fragaria vesca, provides a consistent reference. Variety and horticultural form names describe cultivated selections rather than separate species. Keep it distinct from the cultivated strawberry hybrid, written Fragaria × ananassa. ^{1 3}

Habitat and range

Macaronesia, Europe, Siberia, Xinjiang and much of North America fall within the broad Northern Hemisphere range of Fragaria vesca. This makes it the most widely distributed wild strawberry. ^{1 6}

Open woodland, forest edges, banks and cool clearings provide its natural habitat. It grows on drained, humus-rich soil that remains fairly moist, often alongside deciduous trees in the filtered light of open woods. ^{7 5}

Garden plants readily naturalize, with runners and seeds colonizing nearby borders and woodland. Their spread remains easy to contain; spreading in a garden should be distinguished from an invasive-species designation. ^{2 3}

Life cycle and reproduction

The woodland strawberry’s accessory fruit develops from the flower receptacle. Each white flower is hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated. After fertilization, its receptacle swells and turns red to form the fleshy strawberry, so the part eaten is not itself a true botanical fruit. ^{4 3}

Each small dry achene on the strawberry’s surface contains a seed. A fleshy receptacle covered with achenes is characteristic of Fragaria and explains why the grains separate so readily from the flesh. ^{4 7}

Vegetative propagation is the main route: runners root at their tips and produce plants identical to the parent. Clumps can also be divided in spring, or achenes surface-sown because the seed needs light to germinate. Runnerless forms such as Alexandria are mainly raised from seed. First fruit follows about three to five months after sowing, depending on climate. ^{2 5}

Uses and risks

Food is the principal use of woodland strawberry. Its small fruits are eaten raw or made into jam or syrup, and their fragrance is notably stronger than that of large commercial strawberries. Young leaves are also used for infusions. This edible plant has been gathered since antiquity. ^{5 4}

No hazardous substance is known in Fragaria vesca, which is considered non-toxic to people and domestic animals. It is not listed among plants reported as toxic to cats, dogs or horses. As with other fruits, sensitive people may have an allergic reaction; that is an individual sensitivity rather than plant toxicity. ^{3 2}

Varieties, look-alikes and related plants

Cultivated selections differ in fruiting habit and foliage. Semperflorens and Alexandria are everbearing alpine strawberry forms, fruiting from summer until frost; Mignonette suits borders or pots; variegated Variegata is mainly ornamental. Check whether a selection repeat-fruits and whether it produces runners before buying.

The main plants that cause confusion are:

• Potentilla indica, mock strawberry, with yellow flowers and upright but bland red fruit;
• Fragaria × ananassa, the cultivated strawberry, with much larger, less fragrant fruit;
• Potentilla sterilis, barren strawberry, without a truly fleshy fruit.

White flowers, a red accessory fruit covered with achenes and a pronounced fragrance together provide the most useful confirmation of woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca. ^{3 1}

Main sources

• Plants of the World Online / Kew, Fragaria vesca L.
• Royal Horticultural Society, Fragaria vesca - wild strawberry
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Fragaria vesca
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, strawberry plant
• Plants For A Future, Fragaria vesca
• USDA PLANTS Database, Fragaria vesca L.
• Tela Botanica, Fragaria vesca L. (eFlore)