This 80-acre native prairie remnant is owned by the Missouri Prairie Foundation and is jointly managed with the Conservation Department.
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Name
Edible
Scientific Name
Fragaria virginiana
Family
Rosaceae (roses)
Description
Wild strawberry is a low, ground-hugging herbaceous perennial, rooting from runners. Flowers are borne in clusters, each with 5 white petals and many stamens, in the arrangement typical of the rose family. Blooms April–May. Leaves compound with 3 egg-shaped leaflets with toothed lobes, on hairy stems, dark green. Fruit is a delicious red “berry” (technically it’s an aggregate fruit; notice the many seeds on the outside of the fruit), about ½ inch across, ripening June–July.
Similar species: The nonnative, weedy Indian strawberry (mock strawberry), Duchesnea indica, has yellow petals instead of white, and its “strawberries” lack juiciness and flavor.
Size
Height: to about 6 inches.
Where To Find
Statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs on open slopes, prairies, rocky hillsides, borders of woods, old fields, and a variety of other situations. Some people cultivate it as a groundcover or rock garden plant, although it tends to become dormant during the hottest months. The commonly cultivated strawberries available at garden centers are hybrids between this native species and a strawberry species native to Chile. So far, there are around 250 different cultivated varieties of strawberries available for gardeners.
Human Connections
This species is one of the parents of the cultivated strawberry. The U.S. commercial strawberry industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Strawberries, of course, are eaten fresh, frozen, made into juice and wine, and cooked into delicious pies.
Ecosystem Connections
This plant is valuable to many different animals: The nectar and pollen feed numerous species of bees, butterflies, and other insects. Several mammals nibble the leaves. And the fruits are savored by creatures ranging from box turtles and birds to bunnies and boys (and everyone else)!
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Media Gallery
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Credit
Julianna Schroeder
Right to Use
Photo by Julianna Schroeder, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Caption
Wild strawberry fruits are about a half inch wide. They ripen in June and July.
Right to Use
Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
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Right to Use
Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!