Strawberry | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

What Is a Strawberry?

A strawberry is a bright red, heart-shaped fruit with a sweet fragrance and a flavor that has made it one of the most popular fruits in the world. Its scientific name is Fragaria × ananassa, and it has a botanical secret: a strawberry is not actually a true berry. The juicy red part you eat is really the swollen receptacle of the flower, and those tiny yellow specks on the outside that look like seeds are the actual fruits, called achenes. Each strawberry has about 200 of these achenes on its surface, making it the only fruit that wears its seeds on the outside.

Where Strawberries Come From

Wild strawberries have grown across Europe and the Americas for thousands of years, and ancient Romans wrote about enjoying them as far back as 200 BC. The large garden strawberry we eat today was created accidentally in France around 1750 when two wild species from different continents were planted near each other and cross-pollinated. One parent species came from eastern North America and the other from Chile in South America. This happy accident produced a hybrid with much bigger and juicier fruit than either wild parent, and almost all modern strawberry varieties descend from this cross.

How Strawberries Grow

Strawberry plant with ripe red and unripe green strawberries growing close to the ground

Strawberry plants are low-growing perennials that spread by sending out long, thin stems called runners or stolons that creep along the ground. When a runner touches the soil, it puts down roots and grows into a brand-new plant that is genetically identical to the parent. Strawberry flowers have white petals and are pollinated by bees, and each flower needs to be visited by bees multiple times to produce a fully formed fruit. If parts of the flower are not pollinated, the strawberry will be misshapen, which is why farmers often place beehives near their strawberry fields.

Growing the Perfect Strawberry

California produces about 80 percent of the strawberries grown in the United States, thanks to its mild coastal climate and long growing season. Florida is the second-largest producer and supplies most of the winter strawberries you find in stores between November and March. Strawberry plants produce the best fruit in their first two or three years, so farmers replant their fields regularly. Wild strawberries still grow in meadows and forest edges across North America and Europe, and though they are much smaller than cultivated ones, many people say they have a more intense, sweeter flavor.

Strawberries in Our Lives

Strawberries are enjoyed fresh, dipped in chocolate, sliced over cereal, blended into smoothies, and baked into shortcakes and pies. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, with just eight medium strawberries providing more than a full day’s supply. Strawberry festivals are held across the United States each spring and summer, celebrating the harvest with strawberry-themed foods, contests, and activities. The name strawberry may come from the old practice of spreading straw around the plants to keep the fruit clean and protect it from slugs.