A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?

Fleemo wrote:

A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?






That might be Duchesnea indica, Indian Strawberry or Mock Strawberry:

http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellow...dica_page.html


In southeastern PA, it's a common weed of lawns and borders, mildly invasive
via vigorous stolons, but relatively easy to control by hand-weeding or lawn
herbicide.

Some websites consider it useful as a groundcover, and it probably could be
used in that manner here, though I wouldn't choose it over better plants. It
does grow well in no direct sunlight/high shade.

Bill

Fleemo wrote:

A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?

I'm in TN and my yard has more wild strawberry then grass. It's invasive
in the gardens, but easy to pull.

"kate" wrote in message
...


Fleemo wrote:

A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?

I'm in TN and my yard has more wild strawberry then grass. It's invasive
in the gardens, but easy to pull.

I noticed some wild strawberry in my back lawn a couple of years ago and
thought it was novel. What a mistake! Now my lawn is overtaken with the
stuff. It invaded some perennial beds. I spent two days pulling the stuff
from a bed of ground cover. I didn't find it at all easy to pull, but my
soil is heavy clay. My fingertips were raw. The wort part is that if you
don't get every last trace it just grows back. Even the wildlife won't eat
the berries.

Hmmm, the photo looks pretty close. The flowers are yellow as opposed
to the usual white strawberry flowers. Perhaps it is Indian
strawberry.

It's growing in a shady patch where not much likes to grow (beneath a
large pine tree), so perhaps I'll let it go for a while as a ground
cover and keep an eye on it so it doesn't become too invasive.

Many thanks for everyone's input.

-Fleemo



ostheap (VoySager) wrote in message ...
Fleemo wrote:

A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?






That might be Duchesnea indica, Indian Strawberry or Mock Strawberry:

http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellow...dica_page.html


In southeastern PA, it's a common weed of lawns and borders, mildly invasive
via vigorous stolons, but relatively easy to control by hand-weeding or lawn
herbicide.

Some websites consider it useful as a groundcover, and it probably could be
used in that manner here, though I wouldn't choose it over better plants. It
does grow well in no direct sunlight/high shade.

Bill

No need to watch to see if it will become invasive...trust me, it will become
invasive. About four years ago, I thought I would watch it since it appeared to
be "strawberries." Now, I see too much of it as I spend hours and hours pulling
it out of everywhere. It spreads by runners and by seed from the fruit. Pull it
out NOW.

Vox Humana wrote:

"kate" wrote in message
...


Fleemo wrote:

A little patch of what I believe to be wild strawberry (or ornamental
strawberry, I'm guessing) sprang up in my perennial garden this
season. The leaves look like strawberry leaves, but the strawberries
are small, pistachio-sized fruits that don't look particularly
appetizing. The foliage is fairly attractive, but I'm wondering if
there's a downside to giving it some space in my garden. Is it
invasive?

I'm in TN and my yard has more wild strawberry then grass. It's invasive
in the gardens, but easy to pull.

I noticed some wild strawberry in my back lawn a couple of years ago and
thought it was novel. What a mistake! Now my lawn is overtaken with the
stuff. It invaded some perennial beds. I spent two days pulling the stuff
from a bed of ground cover. I didn't find it at all easy to pull, but my
soil is heavy clay. My fingertips were raw. The wort part is that if you
don't get every last trace it just grows back. Even the wildlife won't eat
the berries.

But my dog will. He loves it when I weed and toss the leaves and
berries.

Vox Humana wrote:

I noticed some wild strawberry in my back lawn a couple of years ago and
thought it was novel. What a mistake! Now my lawn is overtaken with the
stuff. It invaded some perennial beds. I spent two days pulling the stuff
from a bed of ground cover. I didn't find it at all easy to pull, but my
soil is heavy clay. My fingertips were raw. The wort part is that if you
don't get every last trace it just grows back. Even the wildlife won't eat
the berries.

Consult a more reliable source, but I believe that anything that looks
like a strawberry (check definitions) is edible. That is, a plant with
3 notch-leaved stems and red strawberry-looking fruit. Perhaps your
birds and whatnot are waiting for perfect ripeness. I've got some
growing in my side "lawn" -- think I'll go out and sample. Will report
back. If you see no more posts from me, I was wrong in my
recollections. :-)

"Frogleg" wrote in message
...
Vox Humana wrote:

I noticed some wild strawberry in my back lawn a couple of years ago
and
thought it was novel. What a mistake! Now my lawn is overtaken with
the
stuff. It invaded some perennial beds. I spent two days pulling the
stuff
from a bed of ground cover. I didn't find it at all easy to pull, but
my
soil is heavy clay. My fingertips were raw. The wort part is that if
you
don't get every last trace it just grows back. Even the wildlife
won't eat
the berries.

Consult a more reliable source, but I believe that anything that looks
like a strawberry (check definitions) is edible. That is, a plant with
3 notch-leaved stems and red strawberry-looking fruit. Perhaps your
birds and whatnot are waiting for perfect ripeness. I've got some
growing in my side "lawn" -- think I'll go out and sample. Will report
back. If you see no more posts from me, I was wrong in my
recollections. :-)

I have no doubt that they are edible, I have tasted them myself. It seems
that they are not very desirable. I had regular strawberry plants and the
berries were quickly eaten by the wildlife. While weeding today I pulled
out lots of plants with tiny red strawberries. Meanwhile the rabbits
continue to pass them on the way to my toad lilies, young shrubs, and
hostas. I am perplexed as to why they aren't being eaten.