What is the first fruit you think of when looking forward to fresh, local fruit in June? Strawberries!!
Did you know that wild strawberry is actually native to Eastern North America? Fragaria virginiana, also known as wild strawberry or scarlet strawberry, is a perennial ground cover that produces small, sweet berries. The cultivated strawberries we find in the supermarkets are actually a hybrid of our flavorful wild strawberry crossed with Fragaria chiloensis, a larger strawberry native to the western coast of South America.
Flowers:Fragaria virginiana has 5-petaled white flowers (5 petals is typical of the Rose family, of which this plant is a member) and many pistils and stamens in the center with yellow anthers. Their diameter is less than 1 inch, blooming April through June. The clusters of 4-6 flowers are below and separate from the leaves.
Form & Reproduction: A low-growing, herbaceous perennial plant that produces new plants along runners or stolons, extending sideways and rooting to form new plants. As this is the main form of reproduction, they can form large colonies over time as they creep along the ground. The leaves extend from the base of the plant and are divided into 3 leaflets, each about 1-1.5 inches long with coarsely-toothed edges. The leaf stems (or petioles) are long and hairy.
Fruit: The flowers give way to what we refer to as a berry, however this is not the true fruit. After pollination by bees, the reproductive parts form a juicy, red flesh and this is what contains the many tiny fruits called achenes (that look like seeds on the outside of the strawberry). The tiny achenes each contain a single seed, which have a poor rate of germination.
Habitat: Around Lowell, wild strawberry is commonly found in patches in fields, meadows, and woodland edges usually in full sun or part shade. It prefers rich soil and moist conditions, but is able to grow in disturbed areas as well.
Wildlife Value: The flowers attract pollinators like native bees and butterflies, and the “berries” attract various animals, particularly birds. Fragaria virginiana is the host plant for Gray Hairstreak butterfly larvae.
Let us know if you see strawberry flowers or fruit at our Hawk Valley Farm property or along the Concord River (we found it at Centennial Island). Remember to look for the Full Strawberry Moon in June as well!
