Wild strawberry

Fragaria vesca

The tannin-rich leaf was traditionally used for mild diarrhoea; the fruit is a treat rich in vitamin C. Medical evidence is lacking.

Safety notes

Strawberries can cause allergic or pseudo-allergic skin reactions in sensitive people.

Preparation

Fruits eaten fresh; leaves as tea. No dosage is given here.

Use in traditions

Ody notes that the 18th-century botanist Linnaeus reputedly treated his gout with strawberries, an anecdote without proof. In folk art strawberries symbolised virtue.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Herbal medicine worldwide

Attributed effects

Astringent, wound-healing, diuretic, laxative, liver tonic, cleansing.

Preparation and amount

Leaf tea for diarrhoea (with meadowsweet and St John's wort for mild arthritis); crushed berries on sunburn and skin inflammation; fresh strawberries for gastritis and as a liver tonic after hepatitis.

Ways to prepare herbs: Tea (infusion)Compress, poultice and paste

Sources

All herbs from Europe →