May

Wild Strawberry for sunburn and chilblains

Posted by frann under Common garden herbs, Fruit

strawberry3 Wild Strawberry for sunburn and chilblains Wild Strawberry, Fragaria vesca, is also known as Wood Strawberry, Woodland Strawberry, Wild European Strawberry, European Strawberry, Mountain Strawberry and Alpine Strawberry. You may find several varieties on sale, most of which have been reclassified as separate species using the varietal name as the species name, including F. vesca bracteata and F. vesca crinita, now both reclassified as F. bracteata, Woodland Strawberry; F. vesca californica (now F. californica), Californian Strawberry; and F. vesca nubicola (now F. nubicola), Indian Strawberry. Fragaria vesca ‘Semperflorens’ is a named cultivar.

Wild strawberry is a close relative of the cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa. Like its cultivated sibling, the wild strawberry is a hardy perennial which spreads over a wide area by means of runners, reaching a height of about 10 inches (25cm) and a spread of 3 feet (1m). It is attractive to wildlife, bees, flies and moths, and the fruit are a favorite of slugs and birds as well as humans.

Normally runners are removed to increase fruit production (perhaps allowing one or two to remain, so that plants over 3-4 years old can be replaced), but as roots are used for herbal remedies, you may wish to let one plant produce as many as it likes, so as to increase the availability of roots. Wild strawberry is a woodland plant, and prefers semi-shade but will cope with full sun. It will not grow in full shade.

There’s an old wives tale that eating strawberries during pregnancy can cause your baby to be born with a strawberry birthmark! This is not true. Most birthmarks of this type are caused by traume during the birthing process, and disappear within a year. In fact, strawberries are highly nutritious, and contain vitamin C, flavonoids, iron, potassium and folate (a deficiency of which can cause serious birth defects and which is difficult to obtain from food as a rule), so are an ideal food during pregnancy.

Leaves, fruit, fruit juice and roots are all used in herbal remedies for different purposes. Leaves can be picked sparingly in early Summer, fruits gathered as soon as they are available from May to July, and roots lifted in Fall. Dry leaves and roots not required for immediate use by laying them out in a single layer on absorbent paper in an area out of the sun where there is air movement and away from damp. Turn occasionally until they are completely dried out, then store in airtight containers, being careful to label them immediately.

Eating the fruit or drinking the juice cools the system and reduces sweating and is a tonic particularly useful for anemia. It can also be used as a treatment for liver and kidney disorders and rheumatic gout.

A cut strawberry, or the juice, can be used to treat sunburn and skin problems.

A tisane made by pouring 570ml (2.5 US cups, 1 UK pint) of boiling water over 1 oz of dried or 3 handfuls of fresh leaves and steeping for no more than 15 minutes, can be used to reduce fevers and excess sweating, and also as a mild diuretic and laxative.

A standard infusion is made in the same way, but allowed to stand for longer, up to 3 hours, before straining. This can be used to treat diarrhea (safe for children), heavy periods and threatened abortion. It can also be used as a wash to treat sunburn and chilblains.

Mix powdered leaves with oil and wrap in finely woven cloth to make a poultice, which can be applied as a treatment for open sores.

A decoction is made from 15g (half an ounce) of dried root to a 570ml (2.5 US cups, 1 UK pint), boiled until the liquid reduces by half, and then strained. This can be taken to treat diarrhea, used as a gargle for sore throat and applied externally to treat chilblains.

All in all, wild strawberry is an amazingly useful addition to the herbal medicine chest! However, like all herbs grown for medicinal use, it’s important to grow wild strawberry organically so that its intrinsic properties are not masked or eliminated by the presence of foreign chemicals. To find out more about growing organic wild strawberry visit the Gardenzone.

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