The Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca
Description
Wild Strawberry, commonly called Woodland or Alpine Strawberry, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the rose family that produces edible berries. It grows naturally throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and is found in a range of habitats, including young woodland trails, roadsides, embankments, hillsides, meadows an walls. The berries of the wild strawberry, although small, are beautifully sweet and are used in much the same way as it's larger garden counterpart. Although I must say, I seem to never get my hands on them as Arthur is much better at spotting them than me, and usually leaves me with a plant bereft of any red treats! Wild Strawberry leaves can also be used to make a refreshing tea.
Wild Strawberries don't last long in this house! Not even long enough for a decent photograph!
Wild Strawberry Checklist
Habitat
🌳 Deciduous Woodland.
🚜 Hedgerows, including field edges.
🏡 Urban Green Spaces, including scrubland, parks and gardens.
🐑 Grassland, including paddocks, fields and meadows.
🐝 Moorland, including heaths and grouse moors.
Season
🌸🌞 May - Aug
Leaves
☘️ Three-lobed (trifolate) with serrated edges.
Flowers
🌷 Small, widely-spaced, five-petalled flowers with a yellow centre.
Stem
🌱 The flower stems are thin, hairy, and green-red in colour.
Berries
🍓 Small, red berries resembling miniature garden strawberries.
Edible Parts
☘️ Leaves
🍓 Berries
Aroma / Taste
👃 Indistinct Aroma.
👅 Raw wild strawberries taste wonderfully, sweet. Despite their small size, they are very delicious.
😋 Arthur considers wild strawberries to be a Choice Edible.
ID Notes
🟩 ID Difficulty - Beginner
👀 Wild Strawberry is relatively easy to identify, especially when in fruit. The classic strawberry leaves, pretty widely-spaced petals of the flowers, and the mini-strawberry fruit are all key identifiers.
Uses
🌺 Garnish - Berries can be used as a garnish.
☕️ Beverage - Leaves can be used in tea, berries can be used to make cordial or other drinks.
🧉 Condiment - Berries can be used to make infused vinegar and sauces.
🍨 Sweet - Can be used to make desserts, puddings and syrups.
🍓 Yummy - Berries are a tasty forage snack!