Alpine Strawberry
Fragaria vesca 'Semperflorens'
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Fragaria vesca 'Semperflorens' is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to November, and the seeds ripen from June to November. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Woodland and damp undergrowth.
Most of Europe, including Britain, to temperate Asia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
Fruit - raw, cooked or made into preserves. Sweet and succulent with an exquisite taste, they are far superior to the cultivated strawberry. The fruit is fairly small, up to 15mm in diameter, but it is produced abundantly from early summer until the frosts of autumn. Young leaves - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a potherb. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute. The root has been used as a coffee substitute in India.
Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The leaves and the fruit are astringent, diuretic, laxative and tonic. The leaves are mainly used, though the fruits are an excellent food to take when feverish and are also effective in treating rheumatic gout. A slice of strawberry is also excellent when applied externally to sunburnt skin. A tea made from the leaves is a blood tonic. It is used in the treatment of chilblains and also as an external wash on sunburn. The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use. The fruits contain salicylic acid and are beneficial in the treatment of liver and kidney complaints, as well as in the treatment of rheumatism and gout. The roots are astringent and diuretic. A decoction is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and chronic dysentery. Externally it is used to treat chilblains and as a throat gargle. The roots are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
The flowers are an alternative ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost. The fruit is used as a tooth cleaner. The fresh fruit removes stains from teeth if it is allowed to remain for about 5 minutes. The fruit is also used cosmetically in skin-care creams. It tones and whitens the skin, combats wrinkles, lightens freckles, soothes sunburn and whitens the teeth.
Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.
How it is grown
Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced when plants are growing in such a position. Prefers some shade according to some reports. Plants are often found on clay soils and on soils overlying chalk. Alpine strawberries appreciate a mulch of pine or spruce leaves. The alpine strawberry is often cultivated in the garden for its edible fruit. This fruit is fairly small but exquisitely flavoured and is freely produced from June to November. There are some named varieties. It is not very feasible to grow this plant on a commercial scale because it is very labour intensive to pick and it is also hard to get the fruit to market in good quality. However, it is sometimes grown by specialised growers for the luxury market. The main drawback of growing this plant is that it tends to lose vigour after about 2 - 3 years, partly due to virus diseases and partly because the plant flowers and fruits so freely that it exhausts itself.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. The seed can take 4 weeks or more to germinate. The seedlings are very small and slow-growing at first, but then grow rapidly. Prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out during the summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
F. alpina.