Habitat and Range
Strawberries grow throughout the entire Sierra Nevada in moist open woods, but can exist in drier shady habitats as well. The Wood Strawberry (F. vesca ssp californica) grows mostly under 7000 ft but the Mountain Strawberry (F. virginiana) can grow to 10,500 ft.
Physical Description
This perennial plant grows from reddish stolons (horizontal stems that hug the ground and root at every leaf node). The leaves are palmately compound with 3 dentate (coarsely serrated) leaflets. The flowers of Mountain Strawberry have white petals 4-10 mm long and sepals 3-6 mm long. Flowers of the Wood Strawberry have white petals that equal the length of the sepals, which are 4-8 mm long. The fruit is an enlarged receptacle with seeds (or achenes) on the external surface. It resembles the garden strawberry but is very small.
Food Uses
The fresh or dried leaves and flowers make a refreshing tea that is high in Vitamin C. The strawberry fruit is delicious fresh, dried, or converted in to jam. The fruit is also high in Vitamin C, as well as potassium, iron, calcium, and Vitamin A.
Medicinal Uses
Strawberry-leaf tea is a diuretic and can also be used as an antiseptic for cleaning skin wounds. Root decoctions have astringent qualities and can be used on wounds to stop bleeding or taken internally to tighten loose bowels.
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