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  Potentilla indica 003.jpg  Duchesnea indica1.jpg  File:Korina 2014-08-19 Potentilla indica 3.jpg Scheinerdbeere (Potentilla indica)-1.JPG 

 

NAME:  Indian Strawberry

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Duchesnea Indica / Rosaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  India strawberry

CONDITIONS: full sun to partial shade
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

 

COOK

Summer

Buds/Flowers

        

Fruits

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

bland to slightly sweet

RAW/DRY/COOK

Summer

Roots

        

Seeds

  

 

    

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Pods

 

 

 

 

Stalk

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small for leaves, medium for fruit

 

COMMENT:  Indian strawberries (a non-native from Asia) are a fun little fruit. In good growing conditions (good soil, drainage, shade & sun), the berries can be much larger than normal, plus more juicy and tasty. Fruit can be added to already sweetened recipes, floats well in punch bowls, and can give a salad some crunch! The leaves can be dried and used as a tea. Although not a real wild strawberry, they share so many characteristics that is begs the question why they are not deemed related. // Berries raw, leaves raw in salads, leaves cooked as a green, leaves dried for tea.(2)

 

CAUTION: “Strawberry leaf tea is laxative. Do not use wilted leaves. Only fresh or totally dry leaves.” (2) There have been some warnings about allergic reactions. As with any fruit that has seeds, those who suffer from diverticulitis may want to sieve the seeds through a cotton handkerchief or similar material.

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: “The fruits are used as a tooth cleaner. They are held in the mouth, or rubbed over the teeth, to remove tartar.” The fruit is 3.4% sugar, 1.5% protein and 1.6% ash. It has 6.3 mg of Vitamin C per 100 ml of juice. (2) Antiseptic;  Astringent;  Emmenagogue;  Galactogogue;  Odontalgic;  Poultice. The whole plant is anticoagulant, antiseptic, depurative and febrifuge. It can be used in decoction or the fresh leaves can be crushed and applied externally as a poultice. It is used in the treatment of boils and abscesses, weeping eczema, ringworm, stomatitis, laryngitis, acute tonsillitis, snake and insect bites and traumatic injuries. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of swellings. An infusion of the flowers is used to activate the blood circulation[218]. The fruit is used to cure skin diseases. A decoction of the plant is used as a poultice for abscesses, boils, burns etc. (1) Also: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-362/strawberry.

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  There is a "barren" strawberry with yellow flowers that does not fruit and is not listed as edible. Yellow flower variety: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldsteinia_fragarioides   

 

Also, two other plants that have similar yellow flowers as Indian strawberry: wood sorrel, oxalis and bulbous buttercup

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES:  Good groundcover. Perennial groundcover for zone 2 firebreaks.(1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Duchesnea+indica

  2. https://www.eattheweeds.com/potentilla-indica-mistaken-identity-2

  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_strawberry 

  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/indian-strawberry.html http://www.aihd.ku.edu/foods/strawberry.html

  5. https://dengarden.com/gardening/Wild-Strawberries-Versus-Mock-Strawberries  

  6. https://herbalremedies.knoji.com/wild-indian-strawberry-or-mock-strawberry-plant

  7. https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/mock-strawberry

  8. https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/mock-strawberries

  9. https://foragingguru.com/mock-strawberry