Garden strawberry, European strawberry, Strawberry
Fragaria x ananassa

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

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.

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.

Where it is found

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.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Albania, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Brazil, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Cuba, East Africa, Ethiopia, Europe (country/location of origin), 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, Philippines, Poland, Sahel, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Sikkim, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Thailand, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

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

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

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from runners. These runners form roots and then new plants. For some varieties flowers require short days and warm weather, otherwise only runners form. Plants form few runners when there is no winter cold. Plants are spaced about 45 cm apart in rows 75 cm apart.

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.

Its other names

Local names

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

Synonyms

Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne; Fragaria vesca L. race ananassa Duchesne; Fragaria x grandiflora Ehrh.; Fragaria chiloensis var. ananassa (Duchesne) Ser.; Fragaria ?magna auct.;