Mock strawberry fruit on the bush
FOOD NEWS
How To Pinpoint Mock Strawberries And What To Do With Them
BY STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Mock strawberries growing on the bush
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 on the bush
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.
A mock strawberry growing upwards
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.
Flowering strawberry plant
Strawberry plants have pink or white flowers with larger fruits, while mock strawberry plants have yellow flowers and smaller fruits with more distinguished bumps.
Mock strawberry nestled in leaves
Additionally, mock strawberry plants grow upward while real strawberries grow downward. Mock strawberries are also more bland and dry when eaten.
Red fruit jam on a spoon
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.
Many mock strawberries growing
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.