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Fragaria x ananassa

Common name:	Strawberry	Family:	Rosaceae
Author:	Duchesne.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Fragaria grandiflora (Ehrh.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	A hybrid of garden origin, probably F. virginiana x F. chiloensis.
Habitat:	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	5	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	F. chiloensis var. ananassa[G] F. cuneifolia[B,G,P] F. virginiana x chiloensis[H] F. x ananassa var. cuneifolia[B,G,P] F. x magna[G] F. × ananassa[L]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Aardbei [D], Garden Strawberry [L], Hybrid Strawberry [P], Strawberry [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	nana = dwarf;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Rose family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Ussr

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 5/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Fruit; Leaves.

Fruit - raw. Fruits of the best cultivars are sweet and succulent with an exquisite flavour[K]. Strawberries are a very popular fruit and are widely available in the summer. The fruit of some cultivars is up to 3cm in diameter[200].
Young leaves - raw.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[200]. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced when plants grow in such a position.
Strawberries appreciate a mulch of pine or spruce leaves[18].
The strawberry is widely cultivated in temperate areas for its edible fruit, there are many named varieties[183] that can supply fruit from late spring (under cloches) to late autumn. Most strawberry varieties are day-length sensitive and only flower at certain times of the year. However, a number of cultivars have been selected that are not sensitive to day-length and can produce fruit for most of the summer. These cultivars are normally referred to as 'remontants'.
The blossom can be damaged by late spring frosts[1].
Oat straw should not be used as a mulch since this can infect the strawberries with stem and bulb eelworm.
Strawberry plants are very subject to virus diseases, these are usually spread by an aphid. Plants tend to degenerate after a few years and need to be replaced. Seed is a safe means of propagation though, since this species is of hybrid origin, the seed will not breed true.
Strawberries are a good companion plant, growing well with bush beans, spinach, borage, lettuce and pyrethrum[20].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. The seed can take 4 weeks or more to germinate. The seedlings are very small and slow-growing at first, but then grow rapidly. Prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out during the summer. This is a hybrid species and seed will not breed true, though this is the only way to develop new varieties.
Division of runners, preferably done in July/August in order to allow the plants to become established for the following years crop[200]. They can also be moved in the following spring if required though should not then be allowed to fruit in their first year. The runners can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivars

'Cambridge Vigour'

Suppliers

Plants For A Future is working with the following groups to try and make these plants easily available. Parts of the proceeds will be donated to so please mention us when ordering.

Cool Temperate Nurseries: 10 Ivy Grove
Nottingham
NG7 7LZ
Email: philcorbett53@hotmail.com
Phone 0115 847 8302 Fax 0115 847 8302
Distribution: UK
How to order: Direct from Cool Temperate by email/phone
Notes: Many Trees supplied on their own rootstock
Last Updated: April 03
Item: Fragaria x ananassa
Varities: Eros, Florence
Item: Fragaria (Chillean Strawberry)

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Fragaria grandiflora (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for Fragaria x ananassa var. cuneifolia (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Fragaria × ananassa (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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