Wild strawberry, or Fragaria spp.
Introduction
Wild strawberries are abundant in open areas and along the edges of forests. They are one of the earliest plants to flower in the spring and one of the first and most delicious fruits that nature produces. The wild strawberry is a flowering plant, which means it belongs to the group of plants that produces flowers and then develops fruits. There are two species of wild strawberry in Nova Scotia and both are native to this area.
Appearance and Habitat
Wild strawberry plants are small, never really growing taller than five cm. They spread using bright red “runners”. Wherever the runners contact the ground they put out roots and start a new plant. Wild strawberries have compound leaves with three equally sized leaflets, each with a serrated edge. The plants flower in early May, a sure sign of spring, producing flowers that are white, with five petals, and yellow stamens and pistils in the center. The flowers develop into bright red berries with yellow seeds, which are often hidden among the leaves.
Relationships
Wild strawberry flowers are pollinated largely by different bee species. The fruits are consumed by a wide variety of animals other than humans. Bears, coyotes, rodents, birds, slugs, snails and some insects consume the delicious red flesh of the wild strawberry. Like most plants, wild strawberries have mycorrhizal relationships with fungi in the soil. The fungi provide hard-to-get nutrients to the strawberry plants and receive plant sugars in exchange.
Interesting Fact
The strawberry is not actually a “berry” (like a blueberry with seeds inside it). In fact, the seeds of the strawberry are the yellow dots on the outside of the fruit.
Human Use
Wild strawberries are one of the most appreciated wild foods in Nova Scotia. They are small, usually no bigger than the end of your little finger, but sweeter than domestic strawberries and sometimes they have an amazing cotton-candy flavour. Wild strawberries contain more vitamin C per gram than oranges. They make great trail nibbles. Many people collect wild strawberries and use them to make jam or jelly. Indigenous peoples use wild strawberries for many different purposes. They eat them fresh, dried, mash them into cakes and even use their leaves for medicinal teas.
Scientific Name
There are two wild strawberries species in Nova Scotia; these are known scientifically as Fragaria virgiana or Fragaria vesca.
~Monica Schuegraf
