Description:
Perennial growing to 0.25m by 1m.

Distribution and habitat:
Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge.
Wild strawberry is native of most of Europe, including Britain, to temperate Asia.

Hystory:
Fragaria comes from "fragans", meaning odorous, an allusion to the perfumed flesh of the fruit. Madam Tallien, a great figure of the French Revolution, who was nicknamed Our Lady of Thermidor, used to take baths full of strawberries to keep the full radiance of her skin. Fontenelle, centenarian writer and gourmet of the 18th century, considered his long life was due to the strawberries he used to eat.
The name is derived from Old English strēawberiġe which is a compound of streaw meaning "straw" and berige meaning "berry". The reason for this is unclear. It may derive from the strawlike appearance of the runners, or from an obsolete denotation of straw, meaning "chaff", referring to the scattered appearance of the achenes.
There is an alternative theory that the name derives from the Anglo-Saxon verb for "strew" (meaning to spread around) which was streabergen (Strea means "strew" and Bergen means "berry" or "fruit") and thence to streberie, straiberie, strauberie, straubery, strauberry, and finally, "strawberry", the word which we use today. The name might have come from the fact that the fruit and various runners appear "strewn" along the ground.Popular etymology has it that it comes from gardeners' practice of mulching strawberries with straw to protect the fruits from rot (a pseudoetymology that can be found in non-linguistic sources such as the Old Farmer's Almanac 2005). However, there is no evidence that the Anglo-Saxons ever grew strawberries, and even less that they knew of this practice.
The Strawberry is Officially the National fruit of the UK.
The strawberry is the state fruit of Louisiana.

Parts used:
Fruit, leaves.

Constituens:


Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.
Edible Uses: Coffee; Tea.
Fruit - raw, cooked or made into preserves. Sweet and succulent. An exquisite flavour but the fruits are usually very small and fiddly, though they can be up to 10mm in diameter. Rich in iron and potassium, the fruit is an excellent addition to the diet of people suffering from anaemia. Young leaves - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a potherb. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute. A delicious drink, it is ideal for children. The root has been used as a coffee substitute in India.

Medicinal Uses:
Astringent; Diuretic; Laxative; Tonic.
The leaves and the fruit are mildly astringent, diuretic, laxative and tonic. The leaves are mainly used, though the fruits are an excellent food to take when feverish and are also effective in treating rheumatic gout. A slice of strawberry is also excellent when applied externally to sunburnt skin. A tea made from the leaves is a blood tonic and has been used as a treatment for diarrhoea in adults and children. It is used in the treatment of chilblains and also as an external wash on sunburn. A poultice can be made from the powdered leaves mixed in oil, it is used to treat open sores. The leaves are harvested in the summer and dried for later use. 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. The roots are astringent and diuretic. A decoction is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and chronic dysentery. Externally it is used to treat chilblains and as a throat gargle. The roots are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.

Others Uses:
Cosmetict; Teeth.
The fruit is used as a tooth cleaner. The fresh fruit removes stains from teeth if it is allowed to remain for about 5 minutes. The fruit is also used cosmetictally in skin-care creams. It tones and whitens the skin, combats wrinkles, lightens freckles, soothes sunburn and whitens the teeth.

Dosage:
Use dried young leaves and roots; garden strawberries less effective.
Decoction: 1 tsp. fresh or dried herb to 1 cup of boiling water, steep 15 minutes. Take 4-5 cups a day; children wineglassful amounts. Tincture: 5-15 drops in water 3 times a day.

Safety:
None known