Strawberry of the Woods – Fragaria vesca

La Fragaria Vesca commonly called The Strawberry of the woods, is a herbaceous plant of the rosacee family which you can find at PRANDINI’S GARDEN NURSERY. It is a spontaneous species which starts life in Italian woods and is cultivated for its fruit: small strawberries with a very intense fragrance.

TERRAIN

The strawberry of the woods loves a rich organic soil which is loose and fresh; it needs abundant watering avoiding stagnant water. It prefers a sunny position and it is best to fertilize the soil with mature manure before transplantation.

FLORA AND FRUITS

The flowers of the strawberry of the woods reminds us of the strawberry flower; they are candid white and they give us fruit from the beginning of Spring to the End of Autumn. It is a very sweet fruit with an intense fragrance.

USE AND HEALTH GIVING PROPERTIES

The strawberry presents tannin, mucilage, vitamins and mineral salts among its properties. Let’s remember they are nutritional, astringent, diuretic and depurative. A herbal tea made from its leaves can be drunk against dysentery and to facilitate dieresis. A herbal tea with the leaves and rizoma against rheumatism and renal system afflictions. The fruit, rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamin C is easily digested and good in the case of convalescence, anemia, arthritis and gout. The juice of the fruit, for external use, is indicated for sunburn, stains on the skin, opaque teeth. The flesh of the fruit is a remedy and preventative for wrinkles, in fact it renders the skin velvet soft and elastic. The rizoma has operative, depurative and diuretic properties which can be taken advantage of by those who have rheumatism and those who suffer from sciatica and kidney stones. It is also a good gum astringent. The minced leaves can be applied to abscesses. The rizoma and the side root should be collected in Spring or Autumn, and sun dried, and preserved in a paper bag or cloth. The leaves should be picked before the plant blooms, if you don’t use them fresh they should be dried in the shade and preserved as the rizoma. There are no specific side effects regarding the use of the strawberry of the woods. Some predisposed subjects may manifest allergic reactions if they consume the fruit. Caution – use of the strawberry of the woods and its extracts is not advised during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.