Strawberries grow where there’s lots of sun: in meadows, fields, on moist ground, along the edge of woods, and on hillsides. You can find them across the U.S.
Grow wild strawberries in full sun to partial shade. In hot climates plant in a location that receives protection from the afternoon sun. They prefer a moist, fertile, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. If your soil contains a lot of clay or drains poorly, amend it with organic matter and plant in hills or in raised beds. strawberries are not tolerant of salty soil, so avoid planting near roadsides in regions where de-icing salts are used. Plants are hardy in zones 3 to 10. There are several cultivars available, choose those suited to your region.
Medicinal Uses
During the 13th century the French cultivated strawberries to use as a medicinal herb for numerous digestive discomforts.
The roots, leaves, and fruits of the Alpine Strawberry, Fragaria Vesca, were used as a digestive aid and skin tonic. The berry was prescribed for diarrhoea and digestive upset, while the leaves and roots were supposed to relieve gout. The berry itself was rubbed on the skin to ease the pain of sunburn and to relieve blemishes. The juice of the strawberry has its own special prescription--it brightened discoloured teeth.
The ancient Romans were staunch believers in the curative powers of the strawberry. They believed it relieved melancholy and masked bad breath. According to the ancients, strawberries could cure inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, gout, fainting spells, and diseases of the blood, liver, and spleen.
John Gerard, a French herbalist, touted the value of boiled strawberry leaves as a poultice. Of the fruit, itself he says, "the ripe Strawberries quench thirst, and take away, if they be often used, the redness and heate of the face." Patients enjoyed the medicinal fruit treatment so much they began eating them as a food, accompanied with cream or wine
A flavoursome and highly nutritious Berry used to treat patients recovering from serious illness in their convalescence.
