Botanical Name: Fragaria vesca and related species | Family: Rosaceae
Common name(s): Wild strawberry, Woodland strawberry, Alpine strawberry
GROWING
- Perennial; herbaceous | Zone 3-10 | 6-12 inches tall | White leaves followed by red fruit in the spring to early summer. The wild strawberry has smaller fruit than the garden variety.
- Full sun/partial shade | Prefers rich, moist soil but will tolerate dry
HARVESTING
Gather leaves throughout the growing season
PREPARATION / DOSAGE
Infusion: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoons of the fresh or dried herb. Steep for 15 minutes. Drink 4-5x/day.
Tincture: 5-15 drops in water 3x/day
External: use a strong decoction on the skin to treat eczema
MEDICAL
Constituents: Essential oil, flavonoids, tannin
Actions: Mild astringent, diuretic
Uses: Diarrhea, dysentery, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eczema
SOURCES
- Indian Herbalogy of North America, Alma R. Hutchens
- The Complete Medicinal Herbal, Penelope Ody
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevalier
- Gardening Know-how
- photo credit: niddynoo Alpine strawberry via photopin (license)
I never knew strawberry leaves were medicinal! So much medicine in all plants, it seems! This is in my herbal studies for a reproductive system herb, but I didn’t find any information in my books on it being used for that. And it is not even listed in the two sources I usually use. One book said it isn’t used so much anymore. But it was listed in a recipe for a reproductive tonic, so I expect it contains some nourishing elements.
