California Strawberry

Scientific Name: 

Fragaria vesca

Physical Appearance: 

  • Made up of 5 main components :leaves, roots, crown, runner, and a daughter plan

When Does It Grow: 

  • Early spring, summer, and early fall

Preferred Environment: 

  • Mild weather 

  • Flat terrain 

Method of Reproduction: 

  • BEES! 

  • Atomically, strawberry plants owe their reproductive success to their crown

    • The crown is where runners stem from which produce small stalks/daughter plants

    • Once the daughter plants form a root bud and establish an independent root system, they detach from the runner and eventually develop as their own clone of the original plant 

Medicinal Uses: 

  • Stems and leaves can be dried into tea

  • Leaves can be crushed and applied to the skin to treat boils and burns

Role in the Ecosystem: 

  • Bees help increase the production of strawberries, but they can self-pollinate

Random: 

  • These suckers is the sixth most value crop in California 

  • The first recorded botanical illustration of a strawberry is from 1454! Do you see why artistic documentation is so important? It can last decades and even centuries!

  • Strawberries also have a long history with in cuisine

    • Even Native Americans were said to eat strawberries with cornmeal which is reminiscent of our modern day strawberry shortcake!

  • 75% of North American strawberries are grown in California… wild right?

  • FUN FACT: botanically speaking, strawberries do not meet the definition of a berry!! 

Whacky right?! A berry is supposed to have its seeds on the inside of the berry