Practical
Plants

Fragaria vesca 'Semperflorens'

Alpine Strawberry

a perennial member of the Fragaria genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.25 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw, cooked or made into preserves[22]. Sweet and succulent with an exquisite taste, they are far superior to the cultivated strawberry[K]. The fruit is fairly small, up to 15mm in diameter, but it is produced abundantly from early summer until the frosts of autumn[K]. Young leaves - raw or cooked[24][20]. Added to salads or used as a potherb[22]. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[25][21][22]. The root has been used as a coffee substitute in India[23]. There are no edible uses listed for Fragaria vesca 'Semperflorens'.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves and the fruit are astringent, diuretic, laxative and tonic[15][19][7]. The leaves are mainly used, though the fruits are an excellent food to take when feverish and are also effective in treating rheumatic gout[15]. A slice of strawberry is also excellent when applied externally to sunburnt skin[15]. A tea made from the leaves is a blood tonic[7]. It is used in the treatment of chilblains[17] and also as an external wash on sunburn[7]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use[8]. The fruits contain salicylic acid and are beneficial in the treatment of liver and kidney complaints, as well as in the treatment of rheumatism and gout[10]. The roots are astringent and diuretic[15][7]. A decoction is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and chronic dysentery[15][10]. Externally it is used to treat chilblains and as a throat gargle[10]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[8].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers are an alternative ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator[14]. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost[K]. The fruit is used as a tooth cleaner[15]. The fresh fruit removes stains from teeth if it is allowed to remain for about 5 minutes[15]. The fruit is also used cosmetically in skin-care creams[18]. It tones and whitens the skin, combats wrinkles, lightens freckles, soothes sunburn and whitens the teeth[10].

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, to temperate Asia.
Habitat
Woodland and damp undergrowth[18].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[11][6]. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced when plants are growing in such a position. Prefers some shade according to some reports[12][13]. Plants are often found on clay soils[13] and on soils overlying chalk[2]. Alpine strawberries appreciate a mulch of pine or spruce leaves[4]. The alpine strawberry is often cultivated in the garden for its edible fruit. This fruit is fairly small but exquisitely flavoured and is freely produced from June to November. There are some named varieties[5]. It is not very feasible to grow this plant on a commercial scale because it is very labour intensive to pick and it is also hard to get the fruit to market in good quality. However, it is sometimes grown by specialised growers for the luxury market. The main drawback of growing this plant is that it tends to lose vigour after about 2 - 3 years, partly due to virus diseases and partly because the plant flowers and fruits so freely that it exhausts itself.

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

  2. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

  4. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  7. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  8. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  9. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

  10. Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30725-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

    ↩

  12. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩

  13. Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.

    ↩1↩2

  14. Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. Faber 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-571-09990-4

    ↩

  15. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  16. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

  17. De. Bray. L. The Wild Garden.

    ↩

  18. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩1↩2

  19. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩

  20. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)

    ↩

  21. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

    ↩

  22. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

    ↩1↩2↩3

  23. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-00-00)

    ↩

  24. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn (1980-00-00)

    ↩

  25. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald ISBN 0-356-10541-5 (1984-00-00)

    ↩

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