Wild Strawberry Seeds

Wild strawberry fruits contain the strawberry seeds.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) grows low to the ground. The plants grow white flowers, and the centers of their flowers turn into sweet strawberry fruits. New wild strawberries grow from wild strawberry seeds on the fruits.

Features

Wild strawberry plants grow fruits from the centers of their flowers, and the fleshy fruits hold dried strawberry seeds. The small seeds are embedded on the outside of the fruits and visible with a close look. Wild strawberries have a type of seeds called "achenes," which means that their exterior seeds are actually also tiny dried fruits that grow into new plants.

Function

The fleshy part of the strawberry fruits helps distribute wild strawberry achenes (seeds) by attracting animals to eat them. Animals take the fruits off of the plants to eat, which leads their distribution and more plants in new areas.

Time Frame

Wild strawberries bloom in April, May and June, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center). Toward the end of the lives of the flowers in the late spring or early summer, the centers of the flowers grow into fruits that contain seeds. The seeds that make their way into the soil and germinate grow into new strawberry plants, which produce more flowers, fruits and seeds the following spring.

References

• Fairfax County Public Schools: Wild Strawberry
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Fragaria Virginiana (Virginia Strawberry)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Guide: Mountain Strawberry
• University of Illinois Illinois Natural History Survey: Achenes