Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa (Strawberry)

Fragaria ×ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier ssp. ananassa

Strawberry

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Fragaria	From the Latin fraga, “strawberry,” which derives from fragum, “fragrant,” from the fragrance of the fruit
Species	×ananassa
ssp.	ananassa

About plant names...

The strawberries we eat are hybrids of Fragaria virginiana and Fragaria chiloensis. According to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, these hybrids are found in the wild.

Identification: Cultivation has created strawberry plants that produce larger, more bountiful fruits—up to 1½" (3.8 cm) in size. Plants are 4-8" (10-20 cm) high. Most varieties have white flowers, though some are pink; flowers have five rounded petals. Leaves occur in groups of three. They are fairly rounded in shape, edged with rounded teeth.

Here are several strawberries and strawberry relatives for comparison:

6/14/2008 · Dad’s Garden, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 5 × 4' (1.5 × 1.2 m) ID is uncertain

	*Duchesnea indica*	*Fragaria ‘Red Ruby’*	*Fragaria vesca*
Common Name	mock strawberry	ornamental strawberry	alpine strawberry
Plant	Plants are 2-5" (5-12 cm) high.	About 5" (12 cm) high and 12-24" (30-60 cm) around.	Plants are low-growing, typically 3-6" (7.6-15 cm) tall.
Flowers	Flowers are yellow, with five petals, about ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) in diameter. They flower from April to August.	Deep pink, about ¼-¾" (8.3-19 mm) in diameter, with five petals.	Flowers are white, about ½" (1.5 cm) across.
Leaves	Leaves are in groups of three, dark green, heavily veined beneath, with rounded teeth. They are oval to elliptic, ¾-3" (1.9-7.6 cm) × ¼-1½" (8.5-38 mm), and hairy.	Dark green, in groups of three, glossy.	Leaves occur in groups of three; each leaflet is ½-2½" (1.5-6.3 cm) long.
Fruit	Red berries are ¼-½" (6.3-12 mm) in diameter, more spherical than strawberry-like in shape. The seedlike achenes on the berry are prominently raised, making the fruit resemble a tiny land mine.	Occasionally produces fruit.	Up to ⅜" (1 cm) across. Red or white in color.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 5-8
Habitats		Sun to light shade; well-drained soil
Type	Wild	Cultivar	Wild

	*Fragaria virginiana*	You are here Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa	*Waldsteinia fragarioides*
Common Name	common strawberry	strawberry	barren strawberry
Plant	2-4" (5-10 cm) high.	4-8" (10-20 cm) high.	3-8" (7.6-20 cm) high
Flowers	White flowers with yellow centers, about ½" (1.3 cm) around. Flowers remain at the level of the leaves.	Most have white flowers, though some are pink; flowers have five rounded petals.	Yellow, on a leafless stalk, with five petals, ¼-¾" (8.4-19 mm) around, blooms April-May.
Leaves	Leaf stalks up to 6" (15 cm) long bear groups of three leaves. Each leaf is oval in shape, with a serrated edge, about ¾-1½" (1.9-3.8 cm) long.	Leaves occur in groups of three. They are fairly rounded in shape, edged with rounded teeth.	Near the base of the plant, three-lobed, with rounded teeth and shallow lobes. Each leaflet is narrow at the base, widening to rounded ends.
Fruit	Berries are red, about ½" (1.3 cm) in diameter. Seeds are embedded in the berry. Sepals point outward.	Fruits become white, then red, up to 1½" (3.8 cm) in size.	Dry, inconspicuous seeds.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 5-9
Habitats	Fields, prairies, woodland edges		Pine forests, clearings
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild

Strawberry (Fragaria) seedling with roots. By Mark Hofstetter.

Edibility: Delicious. Duh. (But the first commercially cultivated species, the alpine strawberry, is tastier. Unfortunately, it is less profitable.) The fruit is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.

Online References:

Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa on biodiversityexplorer.org

Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa on Wikipedia

Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa on floridata.com

Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa on UniProt

Fragaria ×ananassa

Fragaria ×ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier var. ×ananassa

Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Mill. var. ananassa Weston

Fragaria ×magna auct. non Thuill. p.p.

Fragaria ×ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier var. ananassa

Fragaria ×ananassa ssp. ananassa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

6/14/2008 · Dad’s Garden, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 15 × 10" (36 × 24 cm) ID is uncertain

Range: Zones 5-9:

About this map...