Mock Strawberry, Indian strawberry
Duchesnea indica
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Duchesnea indica is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
Shady places in woods, grassy slopes, ravines in low mountains, all over Japan.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas. An occasional garden escape in Britain.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw. Dry and insipid. Certainly rather tasteless, but it is not dry. A flavour somewhat like a water melon according to some people, but this is possibly the product of a strained imagination.The fruit contains about 3.4% sugar, 1.5% protein, 1.6% ash. Vitamin C is 6.3mg per 100ml of juice. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter with the appearance and texture of a strawberry but very little flavour. A clump 2.5m² yields about 150g of fruit annually. Leaves - cooked.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The whole plant is anticoagulant, antiseptic, depurative and febrifuge. It can be used in decoction or the fresh leaves can be crushed and applied externally as a poultice. It is used in the treatment of boils and abscesses, weeping eczema, ringworm, stomatitis, laryngitis, acute tonsillitis, snake and insect bites and traumatic injuries. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of swellings. An infusion of the flowers is used to activate the blood circulation. The fruit is used to cure skin diseases. A decoction of the plant is used as a poultice for abscesses, boils, burns etc.
Anticoagulant: Removes blood clots.
Antiphlogistic: Reduces inflammation.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content
Other
Rating: 3
A good ground cover plant, spreading quickly by means of runners. It is rather bare in winter though and should not be grown with small plants since it will drown them out. A good cover for bulbous plants. Perennial groundcover for zone 2 firebreaks. The US government has created a system of firebreaks for areas prone to wildfires, theses are separated into concentric zones surrounding buildings. Zone 2 is the second away from the house. These low-level groundcovers provide little fuel.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Prefers a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position. Plants are at their best in semi-shade, though they are not too fussy and can succeed in quite dense shade. They also grow well in a rock garden. Plants are hardy to about -20°c. A very ornamental plant but it can be invasive, spreading freely by means of runners. Plants are more or less evergreen, though they can be browned by severe frosts. Plants sometimes self-sow in British gardens. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from runners away from the plant . Heat Zone: 8-6.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 weeks or more at 15°c. A period of cold stratification may speed up germination. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division of runners in spring or late summer. Very easy, they can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 5-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
D. fragarioides. Fragaria indica.