Common Name: Green Strawberry

General Information

Fragaria viridis is a herbaceous perennial plant forming a rosette of leaves from a central rootstock; it can grow 5 - 20cm tall, spreading by means of short stolons to form colonies.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes sold in local markets.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe.

Habitat

Woods and banks[]. Open grassy slopes, meadows, meadow steppes, forest edges, among shrubs[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive soil in a sunny position[]. Tolerates semi-shade though fruit production will be reduced when plants grow in such a position.
During the growing season new plants are produced on stolons - prostrate stems emerging from the leaf axils of mature plants. These runners are used as propagation material[].
This species is closely related to Fragaria vesca[].
Plants are sometimes dioecious. In this case, male and female plants will be needed if fruit and seed is required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The fruit are greenish-tinged with red and are sweet and succulent with a rich musky pineapple-like flavour[]. Absolutely delicious, though they are not produced very freely[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

An excellent ground cover plant, spreading vigorously by means of surface stolons and forming a dense carpet[]. It grows well amongst shrubs but can out-compete 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.