What’s your favourite colour combination?
Ah! You changed the question this month. Just as well because I couldn’t choose only one colour. I’m recognized for my cute white flowers and bright red fruit. Red and white, all the way!
Do you have a nickname?
In this part of the world, “wild” strawberry is also known as mountain or woodland strawberry. Actually, these are two different species that look very much alike, Fragaria virginiana and Fragaria vesca. In Mi’kmaw, I am Atuomkminaqsi.
What’s your favourite hangout?
You expect me to say mountains and woodlands, right? I do grow at the forest edge and in highland areas, but in many other places too. I’m probably in your backyard or along the side of your street! Look for five white petals, three leaves and, later, small red berries.
How do you feel about your famous relative, the commercial or “garden” strawberry? Maybe a delicate question?
Yeah, it’s complicated. We’re all members of the Rose family. In 1700s Europe, however, wild strawberries from North America were crossed with wild strawberries from Chile. The prodigy known as “garden strawberry” was born and, well, took over the world. It’s fine. I’m over it. (Though wild strawberries are still much tastier than garden strawberries.)
Advice on recipes for wild strawberries?
I’ve lived in this region for ages, so Indigenous peoples have many uses for wild strawberry, including medicinal uses as tonics. As I might have mentioned, wild strawberry has superior taste to more recent commercial varieties. (Did I mention that?) So you don’t need to collect many wild strawberries for a burst of flavour. I suggest keeping it simple: sprinkle a few on pancakes, salad, or ice cream.
Ever been misunderstood?
The strawberry is not a berry. And the seeds dotting the outside of the strawberry are not seeds. Gotcha, didn’t I? Botanically speaking, the tasty part of the strawberry is an “accessory fruit.” Berries and accessory fruits grow from different parts of the flower. Each of the dots on the outside of a strawberry are true fruits. Each of those fruits contains a seed.
One wish?
Go and enjoy all the “accessory fruits” of summer! I like to give the garden strawberry a hard time, but, honestly, our local varieties are delicious. Just don’t forget about the wild ones!
Each month, Wild Talk columnist Katherine Barrett interviews a local plant while printmaker Vanessa McKiel captures their portrait
