Wood Strawberries? Updated Picture 7/30

[ShellieESterling]

I haven't seen any fruit, so I'm guessing I'm too late in the season. I'm hoping they're strawberry plants though. What do you think? My woods are loaded with these.

 

[patandchickens]

You haven't missed the fruit -- it hasn't "been" yet, since the plant is still flowering. (Remember the flowers are what turn into the fruit. Well more or less, let's not critique my botanical summary here <g>)

It could be strawberry I guess. (Wild strawberries usually live more in sunny meadowy situations than in woods, though, unless these are very sunny open woods).

However if those are little prickles or thorns I see on the stems there, then it is, instead, something in the genus Rubus (blackberries, raspberries, etc). There are a variety of low creeping somewhat strawberry-leaved Rubus-es and I honestly don't know which ones live in PA so I can't suggest species. Some have basically edible berries, some have nonpoisonous but nonworthwhile berries.

Easiest thing: wait til they fruit and you will be easily able to tell whether the fruit is strawberrylike or bramble-berry-like.


Pat, botanically lazy like that

 

[Tutter]

Trailing blackberry?

 

[coopy]

This may sound silly. Are they low to the ground? There is a wild rose that grows like that. I have seen them when we are riding. Sometimes the flower is pink sometimes white. Not sure what you have.

 

[ShellieESterling]

I'll have to double check tomorrow. I didn't notice any barbs when I was holding the plant still to look at it, so maybe they're just hairs. They're under 6 inches tall and there's tons. Yes, the woods are open and very sunny (in the rare event we GET sun, it's rained here all but 3 days since we moved)

 

[coopy]

Shellie, I think what you are seeing is Dewberries. I have to figure out how to post the photo but it looks just like yours.

 

[ShellieESterling]

Here is an updated picture of the berries growing on this plant... Are they infact dewberries? Sorry for the crumby shot.

 

[bamagirl68]

i say yes....much better than blackberries...IMO!

 

[bills]

If they are vine like rather than a bush, I'd say dewberry too.

It would be a bonus to find a good wild strawberry patch, as they are soooo good, but sure are hard to find.

 

[rockytopsis]

It looks like dewberries to me also.