Fragaria vesca Rosaceae

The wild strawberry contains vitamins A and C and both the leaves and the fruit have been used in herbal medicine for centuries.

An infusion made from the young leaves is beneficial for anaemia and nervousness and as a tonic for the kidneys. It is said that the distinguished eighteenth-century botanist Carl Linnaeus cured himself of gout by administering an infusion of strawberry leaves and a diet of the fresh fruit. Add the fruit to drinks to cool away feverishness. Use strawberry root in a decoction for use as a general tonic and a diuretic.