Wild strawberry

What it is

Wild strawberry is Fragaria vesca, including the alpine forms grown in gardens. Its small red fruits are about 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) across. Baron Solemacher is a red-fruited variety; White Delight is white-fruited.

Ripe white-fruited berries turn from white to yellow, so red is not the only colour of readiness. Both kinds become soft and fragrant. Picking early sacrifices the full flavour and aroma.

Where it comes from

Wild strawberry grows across much of temperate Europe and Asia, with forms also present in North America. It lives in woodland, along hedgerow banks and in stony places, including old walls and rock crevices. It takes to shallow, stony soil as long as water drains away.

How it's eaten where it grows

The fool is a traditional English dessert, and Edd Kimber makes his with alpine strawberries. He cooks them with sugar into a compote, then layers it with vanilla custard and granola. More compote is folded through whipped cream, leaving red swirls.

In France, Michel and Louis Chabran’s croustillant aux fraises des bois stacks wild strawberries and vanilla cream between thin, crisp baked layers. A little icing sugar finishes the top.

How it's grown

The low, spreading plant fits pots, the edges of flower beds or a patch of ground cover. It tolerates partial shade, but full sun gives the best fruiting. Moist soil with good drainage suits it. New plants can be raised from seed or from runners, the long stems that root to make another plant.

When and where you'll find it

In temperate regions, wild and alpine strawberries are usually a summer fruit. In southern Florida, a trial planting gave twelve weeks of fruit from mid-January. The delicate flesh makes long journeys difficult.

Jam travels further: Les Confitures à l’Ancienne, made in France, combines wild and ordinary strawberries in its wild-strawberry jam.