Fragaria Ananassa: Tree facts, grow and care tips

Make your house look beautiful and mesmerising with trees and plants. Such green spaces in homes help to refresh and calm the mind, helping us overcome the stress and tiredness of our entire day. You can enjoy the beautiful essence of mother nature within your house. The question that may come up in your mind is which trees to plant. Choose Fragaria ananassa which strawberry plant’s scientific name. Although you know a lot about the fruit, you may not know everything about the Strawberry plant. In this article, we will discuss various points related to the strawberry plant.

What is Fragaria Ananassa?

Fragaria ananassa, or more popularly, the strawberry plant, is a hybrid plant from the Rosaceae family that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit. It is a bright red-coloured juicy fruit popular all over the world. The plant is a hybrid of two varieties cross-bred amongst themselves. It was grown for the first time in Brittany, France, in the 1750s. Later it was introduced to many other countries. Today, China is the largest producer of Strawberries, with 40% of the total strawberry production worldwide. Strawberries are used mainly for their aesthetic pleasure, medicinal importance, and commercial viability. The beautiful plant with its juicy, bright red, aromatic fruits is a treat to human eyes. 

The strawberry plant is easy to grow, but it takes time and effort to maintain its best condition. However, follow some points to get a beautiful Fragaria plant that can be used to decorate your room. First, you must be aware of various facts about the Fragaria plant. 

Fragaria Ananassa: Facts

Read about Polyscias Scutellaria

History of Fragaria ananassa

Fragaria ananassa is considered to be one of the youngest domesticated plants, which originated in the 18th century. It was introduced through hybridization in Europe between the North American F. virginiana and the South American F. chiloensis as documented by the botanist Antoine Nicolas Duchesne. During the 19th century, several countries developed their own varieties of the tree suited to the region’s climatic conditions, altitude, day length, or type of production needed in a particular area.

Growing Fragaria ananassa at home

Source: Pinterest

To grow your favourite strawberry plant in the best possible way, you need to know about the various requirements of the plant. In the following section, we have discussed the conditions required by the Fragaria plant to deliver the best growth. So please have a look at them.

Soil type and quality required

The Fragaria plant grows best in clay (heavy) soils containing some loamy contents. Must enrich the soil with an ample amount of humus and organic matter. It must contain all essential nutrients required for the proper growth of the strawberry plant, and it must be well drained and kept moist at all times. Slightly acidic soil types are best for growing strawberry plants. It must maintain an ideal pH level of 5.8 – 6.2 in the soil.

A soil test is recommended before planting the seeds. It will help to find out the nutrients missing from the soil. Then, you can add them and prepare the soil before planting the seeds.

Water requirements

The strawberry plant requires moderate amounts of water as they have shallow roots. Usually, the plant requires 1 – 1.5 inches of water every week. But, you need to water 2 – 2.5 inches weekly during the summer months. Do not water it frequently, as the soil may get logged and become saline. Also, water must be delivered at the base of the plant instead of sprinkling at the top.

Sunlight conditions

The plant needs a mix of partial and direct sunlight to grow properly. Therefore, the plant must be potted at a place receiving direct sunlight for 5 – 6 hours daily. At other times of the day, the plant must be under shade and in contact with indirect sunlight. 

Temperature and humidity requirements

The Fragaria ananassa plant thrives best under a temperature of 15 – 30 C. However; the plant cannot bear extreme temperatures and develop dormant conditions. One must maintain a humidity of 65 – 75% in the air for the best growth of the plant. 

Fertiliser requirements

The Fragaria ananassa plant depends heavily on Nitrogen and its derivatives. Therefore, fertilisers rich in Nitrogen, such as Urea, NPK, etc., must be used. The plant needs to be fertilised once every year. Avoid fertilising the plant during the spring season as it may lead to overgrowth of the plant.

Fragaria Ananassa: Tips for maintaining the plant

Indeed, the strawberry plant isn’t easy to maintain in its best condition throughout the year. It requires much time and effort to keep blooming gracefully. Several points must be considered while caring for a strawberry plant. Some of them are mentioned below.

Weeding practices 

Weeds are plants that grow beside the Fragaria plant and utilise the nutrients available in the soil. In this way, it deprives the Fragaria plant of its essential nutrients, which eventually leads to the weakening and death of the plant. You can remove these weeds by applying weedicides, such as Herbicides. However, please don’t pull the weeds with your hand, as it can damage the roots developing inside the soil. 

Pests and diseases

Strawberry plants are susceptible to several pests and diseases. They may hamper the growth and yield of the plant severely. Therefore, it is necessary to know about various problems and conditions affecting the strawberry plant.

• Pest: The Fragaria ananassa plant is attacked by pests, like Tarnished plant bugs, Mites, Aphids, Leafrollers, Slugs, Nematodes, and Strawberry Weevils. Applying pesticides and insecticides can prevent the plant from getting damaged by these pests.
• Diseases: The Fragaria ananassa plant may get infected by foliage diseases, root rots, fruit rots, verticillium wilt, grey mould, etc. However, you can save the plant from these deadly diseases by providing all essential nutrients and proper care.

Fragaria Ananassa: Benefits

Source: Pinterest

The strawberry plant looks beautiful. After its blooming season, the plant bears juicy, bright red, and aromatic strawberries that provide aesthetic pleasure to our minds. But, besides all these, the strawberry plant possesses many other qualities. The Fragaria ananassa plant has great importance due to its medicinal benefits and commercial viability. Some of the significant benefits of the strawberry plant are below.

Commercial uses

• Strawberries are eaten as fresh fruits.
• They may be processed into other food items such as jams, jellies, milkshakes, ice creams, and chocolates.
• Strawberries are used as flavours and aromas in products such as candy, soap, lip gloss, perfumes, etc.

Health benefits of Fragaria Ananassa

• Strawberries are a rich source of Vitamin C which helps counteract various infections. 
• Besides, it contains low fat and calories. Strawberries also provide essential biomolecules such as Anthocyanins, Phenolic Acids, Terpenoids, Flavanols, etc. 
• Moreover, it contains many significant effects, such as anti-ageing, neurological disease-fighting, and anti-cancer properties.
• Strawberries promote eye health, maintain blood pressure, and prevent disorders like arthritis, gout, and other cardiovascular problems.
• They help improve our immune system and prevent premature ageing.

Fragaria ananassa: How to propagate the plant?

Strawberry plants can be grown in many ways. However, four of them are practical and easy to perform. 

• One of the ways is by germinating the strawberry seeds under proper conditions.’
• The second method to propagate the strawberry plant is by plant division. You can cut generative parts of the plant, such as stems or branches, and grow them into another strawberry plant.
• Another way to grow strawberry plants is by crown division. During the early spring season, you can divide the crowns of the strawberry plant and grow them individually.
• You can propagate the Strawberry plant from stem runners. It is the easiest way to grow a strawberry plant.  

Fragaria ananassa varieties and flavors

Everbearing strawberry: These varieties usually produce two harvests in a year, one during spring and another in late summer months or around fall. Most of the varieties are hybrids.

June-bearing strawberry: This is one of the popular varieties of Fragaria ananassa plant, which produce largest strawberries. They produce a harvest around the month of June, thus the name.

Day-neutral strawberry: This variety of Fragaria ananassa plant produces a good yield during first year after they are planted, unlike the June-bearing variety.

Recipes using Fragaria ananassa

One of the popular recipes using Fragaria ananassa is the Strawberry-Avocado Salsa. It requires the following ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped
• 1/2 large avocado, slightly firm, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

To prepare the salsa, take a bowl and mix all the ingredients into it. Gently stir and combine well. It can be served with fish or chicken, tossed in with green salad, or can be enjoyed as a dip with tortilla or pita chips.

Another recipe using Fragaria ananassa is the Strawberry muffins:

• Take a mixing bowl and combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
• Toss the strawberries in a small bowl with two teaspoons of the flour mixture. Toss well and keep aside 1/2 cup of the strawberries for topping the muffins.
• Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until it becomes light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and beat well. Also, beat in the vanilla and almond extracts
• Slowly, add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk.
• Add the strawberries to the batter.
• In the next step, spoon the batter into a lined muffin tin.
• Top the batter with berries and turbinado sugar.
• Bake for around 30 minutes, until it is set and turns golden. Allow the muffins cool completely.

Bottomline

The Fragaria ananassa plant is a great plant to be grown in our garden. Its magical essence will fill your house with a sense of positivity. You can enjoy the beauty of its white flowers and the fragrance of juicy red fruits from the comfort of your home. Besides, it is easy to grow, and you can have a great time taking care of it. Additionally, it has several medicinal and commercial benefits. You can grow this beautiful plant from seeds or by propagating it vegetatively. They can be collected from a nearby nursery or ordered from an online shopping store. 

FAQs