Strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
Botanical family: Rosaceae
Fragaria × ananassa, the cultivated strawberry, a hybrid of garden origin between two American species, F. virginiana (North America) and F. chiloensis (Chile). The wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), native to woods and hedges, gives smaller but very fragrant fruits. Sources: Plants For A Future, “Fragaria x ananassa” and “Fragaria vesca”; Tela Botanica, “Fragaria vesca L.” (Coste's flora).
Sun to partial shade
Rich, slightly acid
Regular, cool soil, especially at flowering and fruiting
Hardy (~-15 to -20 °C under mulch; flowers sensitive to spring frosts)
Overwinters in your zone
Self-fertile
One plant is enough for a crop
Role in permaculture
A perennial ground cover by runners, a pillar of the low layer in a forest garden. A companion of garlic and onion (documented tradition). To be renewed every 3-4 years from the young rooted runners. A refuge for adult hoverflies.
Good companions
Attract pollinators and beneficial insects
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Poor companions
Hosts of the same soil-borne disease: don't plant one after the other
Traditional avoidance (antagonism not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
Strawberries: May to September depending on the variety (everbearers).
Available: May, June, July, August, September.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Strawberries » (rhs.org.uk/fruit/strawberries/grow-your-own)
- Interfel, « Fraise : Présentation, disponibilité, conservation » (lesfruitsetlegumesfrais.com/fruits-legumes/petits-fruits-et-fruits-rouges/fraise)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Possible allergy in some people.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find strawberry in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Recipes
Family behaviour: Rosaceae
In general, Rosaceae are traditionally paired with garlic (reputed antifungal, an in-vitro effect against Venturia inaequalis but little demonstrated in the field), tansy and comfrey. This is the fruit family (strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach). Tansy is the emblematic companion of the apple tree guild.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Potawatomi (Anishinaabe), Citizen Potawatomi Nation · Great Lakes / north-eastern North America; text published in 2013
In Potawatomi (an Anishinaabe language), the strawberry is called 'ode min', which Robin Wall Kimmerer translates as 'heart berry'. A botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she recounts the story of Skywoman: when her daughter dies giving birth to her twins and is buried in the earth, a strawberry grows from her heart. The strawberry thus becomes, for Kimmerer, the emblem of the gift and of reciprocity, a food received freely rather than a commodity. A paraphrase, not a quotation.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, « Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants », Milkweed Editions, 2013, chapitre « The Gift of Strawberries ».
The name 'heart berry' (ode min / ode'imin) is Anishinaabe/Potawatomi, also attested in Ojibwe, and NOT Haudenosaunee. Kimmerer herself specifies that certain Potawatomi beliefs are not shared outside the community; what appears here (etymology + link to the Skywoman story) is what she chose to publish publicly. It's the testimony of a named author, not 'the Native American tradition'.
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy / Six Nations), in particular Oneida and Onondaga · North-eastern North America (New York State, Ontario, Quebec)
Among the Haudenosaunee, the strawberry is the first berry to ripen in spring; as such it is hailed as 'leader of the berries' in the Thanksgiving Address (Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen / 'the words that come before all else'). Received as a gift from the Creator, it is honoured by a strawberry ceremony in mid-June. Out of respect for its ceremonial character, this account keeps to the status of the plant without detailing the rite itself. A paraphrase, not a quotation.
Oneida Indian Nation, « Celebration of the Strawberry » (site officiel de la nation, oneidaindiannation.com) ; formule « the leader of the berries » attestée dans la Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (version diffusée par l'Onondaga Nation / Six Nations).
A tradition DISTINCT from that of the Potawatomi, not to be confused with it. The 'strawberry water' (strawberry juice) plays a part in a ceremonial setting: the status is mentioned, the detail of the rite deliberately not exposed. The Oneida page confirms 'first gift of the Creator' + mid-June ceremony; the exact phrase 'leader of the berries' comes from the text of the Thanksgiving Address.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: rich, slightly acid.
- • Classic companion: Garlic.
- • Keep away from: Nightshades (Verticillium wilt).