Fragaria chiloensis
(L.) Duchesne ex Weston
Sand strawberry, Beach strawberry, Pine strawberry
(c) Alan Siegel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alan Siegel
(c) Peter Zika, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Peter Zika
(c) Anthony Scott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Anthony Scott
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves - tea
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked — it is large, sweet, and succulent with a delicate flavour. The berries are also suitable for making jams and preserves. A tea can be brewed from the leaves.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A temperate plant. It grows naturally in coastal areas in cool locations. In Hawaii they grow between 1,200-2,000 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 4-10. In Chile it grows from sea level to over 2,000 m altitude.
Andes, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Canada, Chile*, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Hawaii, Indochina, North America, Pacific, Peru, SE Asia, South America, USA, Vietnam, West Indies,
How to Identify
A small herb that keeps growing from year to year. The rootstocks are stout, thick and scaly. It grows 15 cm high and spreads 50 cm across. The fruit can be red, white or yellow. The leaves are short and thick and hairy underneath. The flowers are on long slender stalks. The flowers have 5 petals. The flowers are white. The fruit are red and edible. They can be 2-3 cm long.
How to Grow
Propagation: Sow seed in early spring in a greenhouse; germination can take four weeks or more. Seedlings are small and slow-growing at first but then develop rapidly. Prick out into individual pots when large enough to handle and plant out during the summer. Divide runners preferably in July or August so plants can establish before the following year's crop, though division can also be done the following spring — plants should not be allowed to fruit in their first year after a spring move. Runners can be planted directly into their permanent positions.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is antiseptic, astringent, emmenagogue, galactogogue, and odontalgic. It has been used to help regulate the menstrual cycle. A poultice of chewed leaves has been applied to treat burns.
Other Uses
Strawberries spread by runners and can be grown as a ground cover to help prevent soil erosion, and integrated into mixed cropping systems to enhance biodiversity. The plant is a dynamic accumulator, gathering minerals and nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form for use as fertiliser or to improve mulch. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The fruit provides food for birds and other wildlife, and the plants offer ground-level habitat and invertebrate shelter. This species is also noted as a suitable low-level perennial ground cover for zone 2 firebreaks — the second zone out from buildings in the US government's wildfire mitigation system — as it provides little fuel.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Fragaria chiloensis, the beach strawberry, Chilean strawberry, or coastal strawberry, is one of two species of wild strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern garden strawberry (F. × ananassa). It is native to the Pacific Ocean coasts of North and South America.
Names & Synonyms
Chilean strawberry, Dau-tay, Fresa, Frutilla, Frutilla silvestre, Ilahuen, Kellen, Pineapple strawberry, Quellen
References (42)
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