SFragaria vesca photos Saskatchewan Wildflowers

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry) - photos and description

Flowers on long peduncles, grow taller than (flowers grow above) the leaves.

Flowers on long peduncles, grow taller than (flowers grow above) the leaves, fruit elongate.

End tooth of leaflet projects past its adjacent teeth.

Achenes on surface of fruit (superficial).

Origin: Native.

General: Woodland perennial with above ground runners, and very tasty red fruit.

Flowers: Flowers two or three on the ends of long peduncles, bright white, we measured a flower at 12 mm diameter. Flowers grow on peduncles that are taller than (flowers grow above) the leaves.

Fruit: Achenes grow on the surface of the fruit (superficial), elongate, we measured a fruit to 7 mm long (fruit in above photos are not yet mature, not red in colour).

Leaves: Basal, growing on long petioles, ternate, the leaflets serrate, with noticeable veining on the top surface. The terminal tooth usually projects past its adjacent teeth (appears longer than its adjacent teeth, never shorter). The leaves are a light-green, yellowish-green in colour. Leaflets paler beneath, leaflets with long hairs on leaf bottoms, and finely pubescent on top. We measured an end leaflet at 42 mm long by 30 mm wide.

Height: Height listed in Flora of Alberta to 25 cm, on a single plant we measured flower peduncles to 16 cm tall, and leaves to 12.5 cm tall.

Habitat: Rich, shady woodlands.

Abundance: Ranked as an S5 (common) by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre. It took us years to find this plant.

Similar species: This plant is very similar to Fragaria virginiana.

- Fragaria vesca has peduncles which grow taller than the leaves, the end tooth of leaflets is longer than its adjacent teeth, its fruit has achenes on its surface. I also noticed its leaflets are more noticeably veined, and have a more yellow-green colour.

- Fragaria virginiana has peduncles which grow shorter than the leaves, the end tooth of leaflets is shorter than its adjacent teeth, its fruit has achenes in tiny pits on its surface. I also noticed its leaflets are less noticeably veined, and sometimes have a more blue-green colour.

When and where photographed: Took the above photos June 18th, rich, shady, mixed woods, boreal forest, about 450 km northeast of our home in Regina, SK.