More names for this plant
Anishinaabemowin: Ode’ imin
Dakota: Ważuṡteça (strawberry)
The Dakota and Anishinaabe were among the earliest people to name Minnesota’s plants and animals, as well as to understand them in relation to Minnesota’s climate and seasons. Those original names are still in use, and several are included on the Season Watch website.
Latin (or scientific name): Fragaria virginiana
The scientific community has a convention of assigning agreed-upon Latin names to every kind of organism. Using scientific names helps people communicate confidently about the same organism and organize lifeforms based on how closely related they are.
More common names: Common strawberry, wild strawberry
Page contents
June 15, 2020, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Photo © Adam Heikkila, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
iNaturalist observation
About the Virginia strawberry
- Virginia strawberry is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows throughout Minnesota. It is related to the strawberry you can buy in the grocery store and produces bright red, tasty fruits.
- Like many other plants in the rose family, Virginia strawberry has white, five-petaled flowers.
- The fruits are some of the first wild berries to appear in spring and summer in Minnesota.
- Virginia strawberry can spread by seed and by runners. The seeds are spread by animals who eat the fruits. A runner is a type of aboveground root that "runs" horizontally and can sprout new plants. Eventually, if a runner between the mother plant and the new plant is severed, the new plant can survive on its own.
- Fun fact: The heart-shaped fruits of Virginia strawberry have inspired many different Native American stories. The fruits are also an important food in a traditional Native American diet.
Visual guide to phenology
Watch for the appearance of leaves, flowers, and fruits. Take notice of when flowers open and fruits ripen.
Note to observers
This page explains general clues to watch for when observing Virginia strawberry phenology. However, this page does not explain how to identify this plant or collect data in a standardized way.
- For help with identification, see Minnesota Wildflowers.
- For guidance on collecting data, see Nature’s Notebook.
Graphs and historical data
Note: The Orientation Center provides a map, as well as information on reading graphs; interpreting summary statistics, who collected the data and how; and how to download datasets for independent exploration.
Flowering of Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Earliest: April 30 (occurred in 1977 and 1990)
- Average: May 14
- Latest: May 28 (occurred in 1961 and 1966)
Flowering of Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Earliest: April 19 and 20 (occurred in 2012 and 2010)
- Average: May 8
- Lastest: June 4 (occurredin 2000)
Flowering of Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Earliest: April 27 (occurred in 2010)
- Average: May 16
- Latest: June 5 (occurred in 2001)
Download this dataset (.csv file)
First flower of wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), closely related to Virginia strawberry
- Earliest: April 16 (occurred in 2012)
- Average: May 5
- Latest: May 24 (occurred in 2013)
Download this dataset (.csv file)
More resources
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Co-author: Audrey Negro, Minnesota Master Naturalist