# strawberries (*Fragaria*)

Strawberries are sweet, red fruits that grow on low plants. They are juicy and delicious, perfect for snacking or adding to desserts!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens
- **Also known as:** Wild Strawberry

![strawberries](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/103_Fragaria_vesca_L.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Amédée Masclef, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:103_Fragaria_vesca_L.jpg)

## Appearance

The strawberry plant has vibrant green leaves, typically in groups of three, and delicate white flowers. Its most striking feature is the bright red, often heart-shaped fruit covered in tiny yellow seeds on the outside, making it visually distinct from most other fruits.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Rosaceae
- **Genus:** Fragaria

## Interesting facts

- An average strawberry can have about 200 tiny seeds on its outside!
- Did you know strawberries are actually members of the rose family?
- The wild ancestors of modern strawberries grew in North America and Europe!
- They are one of the very first fruits to ripen in springtime!

## Special abilities

- **Spreading Runners:** Strawberries can send out 'runners' (stolons) that sprout new plants, helping them spread quickly and easily across the ground.
- **External Seeds:** Strawberries have their tiny seeds on the outside of their fruit, allowing them to be dispersed by animals eating the sweet flesh.
- **Sweet Allure:** Strawberries produce sweet, juicy fruit that attracts animals, helping them scatter its tiny seeds far and wide to grow new plants.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 15-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — carries pollen between flowers
- **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — enjoys sweet ripe fruits
- **Eaten by:** [eastern gray squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — feasts on the tasty berries
- **Eaten by:** American black bear (*Ursus americanus*) — black bears forage for berries

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash strawberries before eating them to keep them clean.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify strawberries?

Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is strawberries?

10-30 cm

### How wide does strawberries spread?

15-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on strawberries?

1-2.5 cm

### When does strawberries bloom?

Spring

### Is strawberries edible?

Yes

### Is strawberries toxic?

None

### What is strawberries's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Colman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colman-park) — Washington, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Strawberries: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/strawberries)