STRAWBERRY

Latin Name: Fragaria vesca

Alternate Names: Wood Strawberry

Family: ROSACEAE

Parts Used: Leaves, berries, root.

Properties: Alterative, Astringent, Diuretic, Hepato-tonic, Pregnancy Tonic, Vulnerary.

Internal Uses: Anemia, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Eczema, Fever, Gout, Jaundice, Rheumatism, Tuberculosis
Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules, Syrup.
The fruit is a laxative. Different parts of the plant have different uses. Leaves and root are used for anemia, diarrhea, dysentery, eczema and jaundice. Fruit is used for anemia, arthritis, fevers, gout, jaundice, rheumatism and tuberculosis.
Strawberry leaves can be used to tonify the female reproductive system, much like raspberry leaves. Strawberry leaf tea tastes similar to black tea and can be used as a caffeine-free substitute.

Topical Uses: Burns, Freckles, Loose Teeth, Oily Skin, Plaque, Sore Throat, Sunburn, Vaginitis, Wounds

Topical Applications: Cut berries are rubbed on teeth and allowed to sit a few minutes before brushing, so as to whiten the teeth and remove plaque. Crushed berries are applied on skin to relieve sunburn and lighten freckles. Leaves are used as a toner for oily skin, as a gargle for a sore throat and in salves for wounds and burns. Douche for vaginitis. Mouthwash for loose teeth. Leaves are used in potpourris.

Culinary uses: Most people enjoy eating the ripe berries plain, in jams, pies and tarts, on shortcake, yoghurt or with cream, to name but a few of the culinary possibilities. Berries are also used in wine. Leaves are used to flavor soup stock.

Energetics: Sweet, Sour, Cool, Moist.

Chemical Constituents: Tannin, flavonoids, glycosides (kaempferol, quercitin) mucilage, salicylates, beta carotene, vitamins B, C and E, sugars.

Contraindications: Use only dried leaves. Strawberry fruits can be allergenic for some people. Also eating the fruits may cause urine to temporarily have a pink hue.

Comments: The ancient and Latin name for Strawberry is Fraga, referring to the enticing fragrance of this plant. There are several theories about the origin of the name Strawberry -- that straw was used as a mulch between the plants, that the berries appear to be strewn amongst the leaves on the ground, or perhaps that ripe berries were threaded on straws to be taken to market.
The common name Strawberry includes many Fragaria species.