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Fragaria virginiana

Wild strawberry

At a Glance: Low growing wild strawberry with runners, white flowers, and small red strawberries.

Height: Up to 10 inches (25 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Hairy red runners connect the plants.
Leaves: Each leaf has 3 leaflets with pronounced veins; terminal leaflet tooth is narrower and shorter than adjoining teeth; shape: 3 lobed; size: 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) long; color: bluish-green.
Flowers: 5-7 white petals and a yellow center, leafless flowering stalk; size: 1.5 cm (.6 in) across.
Flowering Period: April, May, June, July.
Fruits: Sweet small strawberries 0.6-1.3 cm long; color: red-pink.


Photo © Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Robins, towhees, pine grosbeaks, waxwings, and grouse eat the fruit. Insects: Sara orangetip butterflies are attracted by the flowers. Mammals: Fruit eaten by mice and other small mammals.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Stlatlimx girls made headbands and belts out of braided runners.
Medicinal Uses: The Quileute chewed the leaves and applied them as a poultice on burns; the Skokomish made tea from the entire plant for diarrhea; the Haida used the leaves as an ingredient in a female tonic. Used as diarrhea cure in 40s, and still is to a small degree today.
Food Uses: Strawberries eaten fresh, not dried because they are too juicy; the Saanich and Mainland Comox steeped the leaves to make a sweet, clear tea.

Suggested References

Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 952.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 211.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 417.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 272.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 172.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 183.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.