Wild strawberries (wažúšteča, wažíšteča, or Fragaria vesca) in July, growing in an oak forest on Standing Rock. While most of the prairie is too dry for strawberry plants to survive, they can still be found in the small oak forests that grow on some of the wetter hillsides.
Wild strawberries (sometimes known as “alpine strawberries,” despite the fact that they often grow far from any mountain range) are extremely small, usually under 1 cm². These wild strawberry plants on the prairie don’t produce abundant berries, but the few berries that they do produce are so much sweeter and more flavorful than any strawberry you’ll ever find at a grocery store or farmer’s market.
Once you’ve tried these, it’s hard to go back to the store-bought kind. Luckily, you can also grow these alpine strawberries in your garden. They’re a bit tricky to start from seed, but it’s possible if you’re patient and keep the seeds moist during germination. Alternatively, some nurseries sell alpine strawberry plants. We had a few alpine strawberry plants in our garden when I was a child, and picking and eating them was a favorite memory. (Okay, technically it was my mother’s garden, and I definitely should have left more of them for her…sorry about that, Mom!) I would highly recommend including these in any garden, regardless of your age.
Many people discard the greens around the edge of the berry. But these greens, as well as the leaves, have a lot of medicinal properties. Like other members of the rose family (yes, strawberries and roses are cousins!), the greens and leaves can be dried and made into a tea to alleviate diarrhea, nausea, and upset stomachs. They also are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. You can also eat them raw, especially the parts attached to the fruit (I usually do)! They have a pretty mild flavor, especially when they come from a source that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticide.
If you can resist the temptation to eat them all fresh, these wažúšteča fruits are also excellent dried. They make an amazing addition to either meat or corn wasná.
Plant Stories 