Indian Strawberry, Potentilla indica
Potentilla indica: Mistaken Identity
One of the first things my uncle’s second wife said to me when I moved from Maine to Florida was “they have strawberries here with no taste.” And she was right, almost.
The Potentilla indica, (poh-ten-TIL-ah inn-DEE-kuh) the India Strawberry, indeed has little flavor but it’s not a Southern speciality. It grows in Canada. In fact, it is found in most places except the Rocky Mountain states* and upper New England. Flavorless or not my cousins and I ate a lot of them.
On first glance the P. indica looks like you have found yourself a brilliantly red, juicy strawberry. And that is probably the public relations problem P. indica has. It’s not what people expect so a lot of commentators dismiss it as worthless, but that’s a bit unfair. The fruit is 3.4% sugar, 1.5% protein and 1.6% ash. It has 6.3 mg of Vitamin C per 100 ml of juice. An eight-foot patch will produce about 5.5 ounces fruit annually, about the same as wild strawberries, and you can cook the leaves as a green, or use them for tea. Some folks think the fruit has a hint of watermelon flavor. Others say it is sour so there may be some genetic diversity there, either in the plant or our taste buds. There is certainly no harm adding some of the plant to your wilderness stew.
Be forewarned though, there is descent into negative exaggeration. Many sites state the fruit is edible but tasteless. Others translate “edible but tasteless” into “not suitable for human consumption.” Some translate “not suitable for human consumption” into not edible. Others translate “not edible” into poisonous. Ph.d, herbalist and researcher James Duke, PhD., addressed the issue specifically in his “Handbook of Medical Weeds.” He says the plant is “often described as ‘poisonous.’ I have eaten hundreds and find the word insipid more accurate.” As far back as 1914 author Harrison Garman, writing about weeds of Kentucky, said the fruit was edible and “their appearance leading one to expect them to be more palatable.”
I have eaten many and seem to still be here. Some 31 years after I had swallowed my first Potentilla indica (then called Duchesnea indica) I read in John Wizeman’s SAS Survival Handbook the berries are “highly poisonous, sometimes fatally.” I think there is an error somewhere or two differnet varieties for there is an Indian herbalist who calls the P. indica mildly poisonous and a treatment for cancer. In my experience the leaves, besides a potherb, dried make a nice tea. The berries can help stretch other berries when making jam and jelly. On their own they make a mild jelly or juice for those hot summer days.
There are …. blooms… of inaccuracy on the internet. As mentioned one is that the Indian Strawberry is toxic. The FDA Poisonous Plant database puts that rumor to rest. It is not toxic. Another is that it affects blood. There apparently is no research on that. Some herbal traditions say it increases blood flow and others that it decreases blood flow. There is, however, modern research that suggests the species can stimulate the immune system (in mice at least.)
Potentilla means strong, powerful, and the plant and many of its relatives in a family considered to have good medical value. Indica means from India though the plant is native to southern Asia (though some also think it is native to North America… does it really many any difference?)
* In the fall of 2011 I received an email from “Becky” in Boulder, Colorado, definitely a Rocky Mountain state, and she said she uses Indian Stawberry as a ground cover. It not only thrives, she says, but is good at driving out other plants. Ground cover, food and gets rid of non-edible weeds. Not bad.
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: Low, trailing vine, roots at the nodes. Single flower on long stem, five yellow petals are notched at tip, five sepals. Long-stemmed leaves have three blunt-toothed leaflets, strawberry-like fruit, seeds on outside.
TIME OF YEAR: Fruits in September in temperate climes, sooner in warm areas.
ENVIRONMENT: Prefers moist, well-draind soil, sunny location with passing shade, can be invasive, spreading freely by runners, more or less evergreen in southern ranges.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: Berries raw, leaves raw in salads, leaves cooked as a green, leaves dried for tea.
Just discovered itz the same plant I got growing in my garden here in the western cape,south africa and I’m sure I’ll pop 1 in my mouth tomorrow to taste it…
I don’t know if it’s only the ones in certain areas or what, but I’ve had some really nice ones here that taste and have a texture almost like watermelon. I also found that if you scrape off about half of the seeds with your fingernail, it takes away most of the bitterness, if there is any. Anyways, I really like them 😀
OH also for anyone wanting to try some, the calyx should be bent backward and fruit juicy and bloated with the seeds spread well apart. (ex: the only one in the top picture that would be ready is the middle one, right probably needs one or two more days, left needs at least three, probably more)
Can I eat the raw leaves in significant quantities without harm?
I make green smoothies (raw greens plus bananas/other fruit and water and honey).
They are usually used sparingly. I would think 50 leaves would be excessive and foolhardy.
I ate these when I was a kid thinking they were of course, real strawberries. I would describe them as mostly tasteless, and when I ate a handful or more was a kid I would always get a belly ache for a few hours.
Is this the Potentilla indica/Wild Strawberry that is referred to in Ruach photography as the special plant (which may have been a vine growing in a tree). Is it “the tree of life” that Adam and Eve were not supposed to eat because they were being punished for eating the forbidden fruit. “The tree of life” was supposed to prolong life and the forbidden fruit was to prevent them from knowing the difference between good and evil. God told them they would die if they ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. The forbidden fruit may have been special berries or apples on a poisonous type of plant that produces something that makes the eyes change (belladona maybe). It was thought to impart wisdom upon those who used it. I am researching this on the internet — it’s hard to get accurate information sometimes because their is so much information. If you know anything that would help — maybe a good website or information that others preceding me have found. Thank you for your time.
In my home town, it has a strange name, snake berry. Is a snake show it to Adam and Eve?
Probably because it was used in snake bites. Its great for wounds and skin ailments. (the leaves)
hello green deane!
i love all your stuff
(i have a jug hanging outside waiting for a vinegar mother)
i have indian strawberry, henbit(i’m still calling it purple archangel even though it isn’t), wild geranium, white clover, lady’s thumb, lyre leafed sage, bulbous buttercup(poisonous), english plantain, curly dock, etc. and waiting for the dandelions seeds i blew out into the yard. fingers crossed here in central mississippi.
i don’t think you mentioned that indian strawberry isn’t actually in the same genus as “real” wild strawberries. “fragaria”
just a fun fact.
tootles!
was hoping to be able to add an amendment to enhance flavor , but we have these all over our yard .In northeastern Oklahoma
In some areas this plant is called snakeberry. Snakeberry is also a common name for some species of nightshade, which does have poisonous berries. So when someone who identifies this name with the indian strawberry hears that snakeberries are poisonous, or reads in the newspaper that some kids died from eating snakeberries, he or she comes to the belief that indian strawberries are poisonous. This false information then gets passed along.
The “snakeberries” that you hear about could be many different wild berries, but to get the best results I would suggest that you use the scientific name of the berry.
I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten these in Illinois. I know I found tiny red “strawberries” that were round, sub-spherical, with seeds on the outside, growing very close to the ground (in my grandmother’s lawn). I remember being disappointed by their dullness.
They seemed much too boring to bother with unless one is starving, but nothing bad happened to me.
I ate 2 cups of the raw berries just over 2 hours ago. I picked then right out of the backyard along with some clover and wood sorrel. Not tasty but not bad. It reminds me of when you eat watermelon and bite into the white part “the rind”. I feel fine and plan on drying the leaves for tea later. So much dis-info out there, these are definitely not poisonous.
Are you still alive? Is it safe were you sick?
I live just northeast of Boulder, Colorado and recently discovered these volunteering along my fenceline. Most definitely the Rocky Mountain area. I like their subtle flavor and find they add a nice pop of color to my wild landscaping. I’m training them up a scrolled, iron, wall sconce. I see the leaves in other areas of my yard, as well. I read elsewhere that the leaves can be used in a poultice for eczema. I just started displaying signs of eczema on my hands, so this is fortuitous.
G*d does provide. Mostly we just don’t recognize the value of what we have.
I have violets, Indian Strawberries, Chickweed, Clover, and Dandelions all volunteering to help with my ailments.
Btw, I was sorely disappointed the first time I bit into one of the little “strawberries.” Not really any flavor at all. LOL
This year I found them growing in the yard, we have not had them before. I want to make sure the grandkids don’t get sick. Thank you internet. I would love to hear more uses for this berry.
I have these all over my yard (Central Virginia) – over the last few years, they have spread into most of the bed areas (where wife had tried planting flowers, they seem to be taking over).
I tried a couple – bland with a very faint strawberry flavor – apparently something likes them – I find many bitten of at the stem some mornings.
According to “Wildflowers in the Field and Forest” by Steven Clemants (Oxford University Press, 2006) You are describing Duchesnea indica, called Indian strawberry, mock strawberry, etc. It has three leaflets; Potentillas are cinquefoils, nearly all of which have five.
It is actually the same species…
I have these in my yard in Fort Collins, Co which is an hour north of Denver/Boulder. Wondering if they’re safe to eat. Looks like it’s ok so I’ll try some…
I have a bunch of these growing over here where I live and I don’t know if all of them are indian strawberries or if some of them are actual strawberries. Do the patches of indian strawberries mix with real strawberries? (for instance in a single patch could there be real strawberries mixed with the indian strawberries?) Or do they segregate themselves?
The sure fire way, real strawberries have white flower rays, indian strawberries have yellow. I have both in my yard, and by far, the indian strawberries do well, and spead well. I have to dig up and pot my real straberries, if I expect them to do well (i.e. they don’t seem to like being mowed down), or plant in a special bed. Anyway, as for mixing, I have never noticed that happen here in my yard, but not saying it can’t happen, just seems the indian strawberry seems to dominate a bit more. Nothing seems to bother it. So, real strawberries are only in one small area of my lawn, indian strawberries I find in many places, but I don’t see them ever in full sun areas of my lawn.
Can wine or alcohol be made with this? Do ya happen to know its alchemical properties?
Alchemical properties… hmm…
I think if you put them into a transmutation circle, they can help bind a soul to a suit of armor. (lol, “Fullmetal Alchemist”) ;D
We have mock strawberries ALL over our lawn. How do we eradicate them?? They make our “lawn” look like a green carpet of tiny round leaves. Please, I hope you have a solution to our problem. Marylouise Plant
I eat weeds rather than eradicate them. That is beyond my area of expertise.
Is it possible to dig some up and transplant them? My landlord mows the lawn ALOT:which is a drag because he’s mowing down free food and medicinal plants right when they’re ready to be picked. (Plantain, lambs quarter, clover, dandelion, and the Indian Stawberries.) I’m thinking I could transplant them and get them to grow up and all around my porch. It’s frustrating bc if he would just quit mowing and let the grass die, I could plant collards, and mustard and arugula and they would thrive and be happy with the weeds.
Hi Carrie Mirfield,
I did just that, dug some up and put them in their own little area, thinking they were wild strawberries.
The berries went from being little fingernail size to nice, fat thumbnail size over the winter. They are also spreading like the dickens! Seems they don’t mind being moved at all. 🙂
Oh, and we had a tree breaking freeze after I transplanted them, followed by a few days of snow – at least half a foot.
And the problem with that would be…?
I just made jelly/preserves with mine about 5 minutes ago.
I also added honeysuckle flowers, Dutch white clover flowers, and rose petals.
May I have that recipe?
I’ve noticed quite a patch of this plant spreading behind my garden now that I’ve managed to get rid of the rampant mugwort that was taking over and crowding out every other plant! Good lord that stuff was so hard to get rid of! And it’s quite toxic too, full of thujone! Now instead of that weedy nuisance, in summer the ground is becoming covered with the little yellow flowers and bright berries. Weakly flavored though they are, they are still pretty to look at.
It’s not toxic at all. Sage is full of thujone too.
A moment of silence for the mugwort 🙁 I wish I had access to that amount of it!
Americans are hummingbirds….. wolfing down about 152 pounds of sugar a year. Even pickles, beans and ketchup now are sold soaked in it, and most popular wines taste like pancake syrup. So of course anything touching peoples lips that doesn’t go down like a chocolate rabbit is bound to get bad press. Many people are used to chugging 10 whole teaspoons of sugar in just one average can of cola, for example.
Do they taste bad? No! They taste like Mock strawberries. Try something different.
Or if you can’t stand it put a handful in your mouth along with the ol’ dependable tablespoon of sugar and be done with it haha.
I think its colorful and interesting ground cover. Cool stuff!
I agree.
I found several in my garden and tried them. Your assessment of the flavor is spot on. Definitely bland strawberry, but they do still have a slightly sweet flavor. Very tasty in my opinion.
I have used The mock Strawberry as ground cover; even when designing gardens for two Doctors in a fancy neighborhood. If they go where you don’t want them to go; they are the easiest of “weeds” to pull out.
Would this be OK to leave in my garden? Will it destroy my vegetables?
Ate these all through my childhood in L.A., sometimes by the [small] hand-full. No ill effects. The seeds and unripe berries are a bit astringent and a bit bitter, and would not be surprised if they’re bioactive in some way. A quick swipe with fingers or shirttail [thanks, mom, in hindsight, for dealing with everything I wiped on my shirt] removes a lot of seeds once the berry is ripe. Couldn’t really call them refreshing or particularly tasty, but it’s a bit of moisture and sweetness with a distinct (if slight) flavor and texture. I enjoy them, on occasion, to this day. It’s not something amazing, like a Natal plum. More like a shrub lilly pilly (Syzygium? Eugenia?) minus the sourness.
I use these in my organic banana einkorn muffins, and i also ferment them in my organic pineapple kefir water- they are very delicious both ways. Oh and i slice a handful and add to an organic greens and weeds (their own leaves, chickweed, dandelion, violets, ground ivy, etc.) salad with organic balsamic vinegar and california olive oil- they pair well with the soaked dehydrated almonds in the salad as well.
I have only just realized what this fruit is. I fed these to my children when babies, thinking they were a flavourless strawberry and, as an introduction to strawberries. I find it interesting to read that the leaves have so many uses. Queensland, Australia.
I found some of these on our newly acquired property. I’ve been picking up forest berries in Europe my whole childhood, so I have noticed right away that these are similar, but definitely not real wild strawberries. Tasted one- there is no taste. So I didn’t bother :-). Thank you for the information, now I know what that is.
I’m not sure what you qualify as “Upper New England” but they’re all over the place in NY’s Adirondacks.
My chickens love these berries! Though they never gorge themselves on them. This summer they may have a bit of competition for them from me!
What is your source for the Vitamin C content?