Wood Strawberry

Parts Usually Used

Leaves, berries and root

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

A small, perennial plant, with long runners; 3-6 inches high. These runners root at the nodes to form tufts of long-stalked, hairy leaves, each with 3 toothed leaflets. Leaves pointed, not rounded, at the tip. Small, flat clusters of white 5 petaled flowers grow on long stalks, the sepals are joined together behind each flower; calyx lobes spreading or recurved. Flowers in May to August.

Fruits with seeds on surface (small strawberries). This wild strawberry differs from the cultivated species (F. virginiana) in that its leaves are more pointed and the fruits have seeds on the surface, rather than embedded in the fruits.

Where Found

Woods, embankments, along the edges of forest paths, in clearings, in sunny glades, and meadows. Canada to Virginia; Missouri to North Dakota, Iowa, and in the Rockies from Alaska to New Mexico. Native to Europe.

Medicinal Properties

Diuretic, tonic, stomachic, mild astringent

Biochemical Information

Vitamin C, tannin

Uses

Native Americans traditionally prepared a tea from strawberry roots for stomach ailments, jaundice, and profuse menses. The root was also chewed as a substitute for a toothbrush and used as a diuretic. In European folk medicine, herbalists employed teas made from the leaves to address indigestion, serve as a diuretic for kidney gravel, and act as a general blood purifier. Historically, leaf preparations were also associated with eczema and used as external washes for sunburn.

Practitioners applied tea or decoctions of the leaves or roots for intestinal complaints such as diarrhea, dysentery, and urinary tract issues, as well as for night sweats and as a gargle to strengthen the gums. Additionally, historical accounts noted the use of fresh strawberry juice for cleansing the skin and removing tartar or discoloration from teeth, while the berries themselves were traditionally cited for reducing fevers.

Bibliography

, Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Magic of Herbs , by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. (Out of print) The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R.

, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, first printed by the United States Government Printing Office, Washington, in 1928, this Dover edition 1974 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). The Healing Plants , by Mannfried Pahlow, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. , Hauppauge, NY 11788, 1992