FOOD NEWS
How To Pinpoint Mock Strawberries And What To Do With Them
BY STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
If you find a small, bumpy, red fruit in your backyard, you may assume it’s a wild strawberry, but it might actually be a different plant known as the mock strawberry.
Mock strawberries, or potentilla indica, are part of the Rosaceae family like strawberries, and while the two look similar and are both edible, they have many differences.
While strawberries are native to North America and are cultivated to be eaten, Mock strawberries come from Asia and are viewed as a weed or invasive species.
Strawberry plants have pink or white flowers with larger fruits, while mock strawberry plants have yellow flowers and smaller fruits with more distinguished bumps.
Additionally, mock strawberry plants grow upward while real strawberries grow downward. Mock strawberries are also more bland and dry when eaten.
Despite their lackluster flavor, mock strawberries can be used in jam, salads, or an herbal tea that may be able to aid with snake and insect bites, eczema, and boils.
If you plan to grow mock strawberries, or already have a plant, it’s best to take measures to control their growth. They’re considered weeds and can inhibit other plants.