Common Name: Hautbois Strawberry

General Information

Fragaria moschata is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a rosette of leaves from a central rootstock; it can grow 15 - 40cm tall. The plant can spread by means of thin, usually short stolons, though these are often absent[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It has at times been cultivated on a garden scale for this fruit, though is seldom cultivated at present.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - France and Italy east through southern Russia and the Caucasus to southern Siberia

Habitat

Forests, shrubby formations, parks, usually in shady places and among tall grasses[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[]. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced[]. Another report says that this species prefers shade[]. Succeeds in acid and alkaline soils[].
During the growing season new plants are produced on runners - prostrate stems emerging from the leaf axils of mature plants. These runners are used as propagation material[].
Likes a mulch of pine or spruce leaves[, ].
At one time this species was widely cultivated for its edible fruit, but it is fairly low yielding and has now been almost totally superseded by cultivars of Fragaria × ananassa[]. There are some named varieties[].
The flowers are usually unisexual[]. (This report does not say if the plants are dioecious or monoecious.)
This species produces few or no stolons[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. Sweet and succulent. The fruit is small but has an excellent flavour and is very aromatic[, , , ]. It is greatly superior to the cultivated strawberries, but is not very freely produced[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

An excellent ground cover plant, spreading vigorously by means of surface stolons and forming a dense carpet of growth[]. It grows well amongst shrubs but is likely to suffocate smaller plants[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. The seed can take 4 weeks or more to germinate. The seedlings are very small and slow-growing at first, but then grow rapidly. Prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out during the summer.
Division of runners, preferably done in mid summer in order to allow the plants to become established for the following years crop[]. They can also be moved in the following spring if required, though should not then be allowed to fruit in their first year. The runners can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.