Botanical Name: Fragaria vesca
How to Grow It
Strawberry is a hardy perennial groundcover that spreads by runners, forming mats of glossy green leaves and scattering those iconic red fruits through late winter and spring.
Climate & range: Best in temperate and subtropical zones, but with a bit of care (and mulching) they can grow in cooler or hotter areas too.
Sun & soil: Strawberries will handle full sun or part shade just fine. Sun gives sweeter fruit, while part shade gives lusher leaves. They like rich, well-drained soil, but are surprisingly tolerant of poorer conditions – the fruit might just be smaller.
Water & drought: Very drought-hardy once established, though regular watering during fruiting will give plumper berries.
Season & growth habit: In cool climates, they die back a little over winter, then burst back in spring. In mild regions, they can produce for much of the year.
Propagation: Couldn’t be easier – simply peg down a runner (the long skinny stems that creep out from the mother plant) and it will root on its own. Snip it off and plant it where you want.
Containers & borders: Strawberries do brilliantly in pots, hanging baskets, barrels, or even gutter gardens. They also make a fantastic living mulch around trees and shrubs, doubling as an edible groundcover that keeps weeds down.
You can treat strawberries like a low-maintenance perennial (as I do) or manage them intensively for maximum yields. Either way, they’ll surprise you with fruit – sometimes a trickle, sometimes a flood!
Herbal & Nutrient Value
Strawberries aren’t just sweet little treats — they pack real nutritional punch:
- High in vitamin C – more than oranges gram for gram – to keep your immune system humming.
- Good levels of vitamins A & B, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, silicon & sulphur for general wellbeing.
But here’s the part many gardeners forget: the leaves are useful too.
- Fresh or dried, they make a mild, earthy tea that’s been used traditionally for digestive health, urinary tract support, and even as a gentle tonic for joints and skin.
Traditional & Home Remedies
Leaf Tea for Digestion – dry leaves, brew as a tea for stomach upsets.
Mouthwash for Sore Throats – cool tea used as a gargle.
Skin Lightening Mask – mashed berries applied to skin.
Gout Remedy – leaves eaten as salad in folk medicine.
It’s one of those plants where fruit and foliage are both useful – a double win for any survival garden.
Using It in the Kitchen
Of course, most strawberries never make it inside – they’re eaten straight off the plant! But if you do save some for later:
Flavour & texture: Sweet, tangy, fragrant – nothing tastes like a sun-warmed strawberry.
How to use:
- Eat them fresh, by the handful.
- Roast them to deepen their flavour – try tossing them on yogurt or pancakes.
- Turn them into jam, syrups, or fruit leather for a pantry staple.
Storage tips: They’re best picked and eaten the same day. If you must store, keep them unwashed in the fridge for a couple of days. Wash just before eating.
Simple recipe ideas
– Roasted Strawberries: Toss halved berries with honey, roast for 15 mins, spoon over ice cream.
– Strawberry Leaf Tea: Steep 4–5 dried leaves in boiling water for a gentle herbal brew.
– Strawberry Smoothie: Blend strawberries with banana, yogurt, and a splash of orange juice.
– Garden Strawberry Salad: Add sliced strawberries to mixed greens with feta and balsamic glaze.
– Simple Strawberry Jam: Simmer strawberries with sugar and lemon until thick, jar, and store.
Other Uses
- Living mulch: Strawberries spread into a dense mat that suppresses weeds and protects soil.
- Garden borders: Perfect for edging paths and beds, creating a natural, edible boundary.
- Animal nibble: Chickens and ducks will happily eat surplus fruit or leaves.
Why it’s a survival plant:
Strawberries tick every box – they’re tough, multi-use, and delicious. They give you fruit, tea, groundcover, and beauty all in one. Even if they don’t fruit heavily every year, the rewards when they do are worth every moment of easy care.
If you want a plant that makes your garden look good, your soil healthier, and your family happy — strawberries are it.
