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Duchesnea indica - (Andrews.)Focke.

Common Name Mock Strawberry, Indian strawberry
Family Rosaceae
USDA hardiness 5-11
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Shady places in woods, grassy slopes, ravines in low mountains, all over Japan[58].
Range E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas. An occasional garden escape in Britain[17].
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Duchesnea indica Mock Strawberry, Indian strawberry


http://www.biolib.de/
Duchesnea indica Mock Strawberry, Indian strawberry
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Dalgial

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Duchesnea indica is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from July to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

D. fragarioides. Fragaria indica.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit  Leaves
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw[105, 177]. Dry and insipid[17]. Certainly rather tasteless, but it is not dry[K]. A flavour somewhat like a water melon according to some people, but this is possibly the product of a strained imagination[K].The fruit contains about 3.4% sugar, 1.5% protein, 1.6% ash[194]. Vitamin C is 6.3mg per 100ml of juice[194]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter with the appearance and texture of a strawberry but very little flavour[K]. A clump 2.5m² yields about 150g of fruit annually[194]. Leaves - cooked[179].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anticoagulant  Antiphlogistic  Antiseptic  Depurative  Eczema  Febrifuge  Poultice  Skin  
Vitamin C

The whole plant is anticoagulant, antiseptic, depurative and febrifuge[147, 178]. It can be used in decoction or the fresh leaves can be crushed and applied externally as a poultice[147]. It is used in the treatment of boils and abscesses, weeping eczema, ringworm, stomatitis, laryngitis, acute tonsillitis, snake and insect bites and traumatic injuries[147]. A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of swellings[147, 178, 218]. An infusion of the flowers is used to activate the blood circulation[218]. The fruit is used to cure skin diseases[218]. A decoction of the plant is used as a poultice for abscesses, boils, burns etc[218].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

A good ground cover plant, spreading quickly[197] by means of runners[214]. It is rather bare in winter though[K] and should not be grown with small plants since it will drown them out[208]. A good cover for bulbous plants[214]. Perennial groundcover for zone 2 firebreaks. The US government has created a system of firebreaks for areas prone to wildfires, theses are separated into concentric zones surrounding buildings. Zone 2 is the second away from the house. These low-level groundcovers provide little fuel.

Special Uses

Food Forest  Ground cover

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position[175]. Plants are at their best in semi-shade, though they are not too fussy[214] and can succeed in quite dense shade[208, 214]. They also grow well in a rock garden[1]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[200]. A very ornamental plant[1] but it can be invasive, spreading freely by means of runners[187]. Plants are more or less evergreen, though they can be browned by severe frosts[214]. Plants sometimes self-sow in British gardens[214]. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from runners away from the plant [2-1]. Heat Zone: 8-6.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 weeks or more at 15°c. A period of cold stratification may speed up germination. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division of runners in spring or late summer. Very easy, they can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Afghanistan, China (Liaoning Sheng (south)), Korea, Japan (Hokkaidô, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku), Taiwan TROPICAL ASIA: Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands), Philippines

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Duchesnea chrysantha Perennial0.1 6-9  LMHNM20 
Duchesnea filipendula Perennial0.1 6-9  LMHNM20 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

(Andrews.)Focke.

Botanical References

58200266

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

   Tue Feb 19 2008

www.irishwildflowers.ie Photographs of Duchesnea indica

   Nov 29 2010 12:00AM

Extremely invasive in West Cornwall, spreading happily both in deciduous woodland and grazed pasture. If you want to grow something this invasive, Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed are much more garden-worthy (though illegal)! If you want fruit, you'd be mad not to grow actual strawberries, or any other tasty fruit, instead!

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