Potentilla Species, False Strawberry, Indian Strawberry, Mock Strawberry

On Aug 16, 2015, artmaven wrote:

This is a horrible plant for coastal South Jersey!!! It is speedily taking over my lawn around Nonno's 70+ year old fig tree. I am significantly allergic to this Mock Strawberry. It causes irritation and swelling to my tongue and throat. I cannot tend to the fig tree, eat the figs or work anywhere in the garden without it affecting me to some degree.

After about an hour pulling it out, I experienced a very strong allergic reaction. I took an antihistamine and showered. Took a couple of hours before I felt better. The allergic reaction is much worse if I engage the plant but it still affects me wherever I am in my garden.

When I first noticed it a year ago, I pulled it out and planted grass. The grass came up beautifully ... until this Mock Strawberry started s... read moreending runners into it again. I will not use herbicide on it so close to the fig tree and her roots. Repeatedly ripping it out, jeopardizes the figs roots. What the heck am I going to do, here? How did this crap get into my garden? Who is growing this devil plant in this area? It should be illegal to plant this stuff.

On Mar 22, 2015, carminag from Fort Collins, CO wrote:

I live in Fort Collins CO and this plant has taken over the garden with my ornamentals and is moving into the yard. Very hard to pull. I can't use herbicides because of proximity to other plants. Only plant this if you don't want a yard with grass.

On Mar 31, 2013, evgboy from Richmond, VA wrote:

I battle this weed on a regular basis. It, violets, and ground ivy invade any available space in my flower garden. I'm not sure why it gets any positive comments.

On Jun 3, 2011, AmyMorie from Green Cove Springs, FL (Zone 9a) wrote:

Grown as a (heavily irrigated) ornamental groundcover in Southern California. I found it naturalized in an unkempt lawn in Jacksonville FL. The area rarely gets irrigation so it must be surviving on rainfall, with grass and weed cover protecting soil moisture. I will try transplanting some to north Florida garden conditions soon.

On Jan 14, 2011, jody03 from Iowa City, IA wrote:

I came across the plant in the new Thompson & Morgan catalog and in researching it online realized that I already have some in the "city grass" (between the sidewalk and street), for whose maintenance I am of course responsible. I think I'll encourage it, perhaps even plant more, in preference to the rest of the "grass" that's mainly violets and nimblewill--which is perfectly horrible, and if the D. indica can overwhelm *that*, I'd be delighted. It's many feet away from my own lawn and garden so not likely to spread there. I notice that other respondents find it especially troublesome in the southern states.

On Jun 10, 2010, SandyBee589 from Lees Summit, MO wrote:

I noticed this plant a few summers ago in a shady area of the wild yard. This year, with higher than normal rainfall in our area, it is thriving. It's a pretty little plant and the 'berries' are especially attractive. Something eats the berries, but not vigorously. I've eaten a few of them. They are tasteless, but didn't make me sick and this year they aren't dry. Since they are so tasteless, there appears to be no reason to eat them, but if one were starving they probably have food value.
It is in a wild area of the property, and is definitely preferable to the poison ivy that used to grow there. I'm going to let it be for now, but it certainly has the propensity to invade and when it comes into my lawn, it will be war.

On Apr 23, 2010, Kelly333 from Longview, TX wrote:

This is a weed you want to get rid of before it takes a hold of your grass or garden area. Indian Mock-Strawberry: Duchesnea indica is an invasive weed at my place. I thought it was wild strawberry at first. Now I know what it is I am trying to get rid of it. I wish I knew how to kill it, without killing my grass or plants around it. Do not plant this unless you want it to kill your grass.

On Jul 11, 2009, lucky_pez from Monroe, MI wrote:

I love this plant, it is an excellent ground cover and it spreads quickly. One thing that I have noticed in regards to other people's comments is that although it does thrive in shaded areas it does most certainly spread to areas of my lawn that do receive full sun until early to mid afternoon. Again in regards to other comments I saw, it is definately not poisenous; it does not give you diarrea or stomach cramps; it does not kill you even if ingested in substantially large amounts; you can eat the flowers, leaves, and berries without contracting any illness; and it has numerous medicinal uses! It doesn't have very much flavor so it makes a great light flavored juice and works really well in jams and pies. I haven't seen any birds, squirels, or chipmunks eating the berries but rabbits ... read moreLOVE them!

On Jun 22, 2008, kryistina from Springfield, MO wrote:

My family just loves this prolific plant. The leaves make a lovely tea, and can be eaten as cooked greens, while the nearly-tasteless berries are great vitamin-rich filler for any jam or jelly for which you may not have enough of a stronger-flavored fruit. Also great as a mild jelly or juice for hot days in the middle of summer. It does not like full sun, so id a fantastic, lush ground cover for the north sides of houses, as it will not spread out into the harsh mid-day sun.

On Apr 7, 2008, Amoena from Nashville, TN wrote:

Here in Nashville, TN, this plant is a widespread noxious weed. I had always assumed it to be a native plant, and I'm
quite surprised to learn that it is actually an exotic! Don't
plant it, please! Real strawberries, such as the native F. virginica, or the English woodland strawberry, F. vesca,
are just as easy to grow, far more attractive, and produce delicious berries, too.

But for what it's worth, this weed prefers damp, partially shaded areas....

On Oct 29, 2007, kenny1313 from Crosby, TX wrote:

very annoying and unattracting plant spent months trying to clean the plant out of my yard and spreds very quickly
the foul smell scares away birds and attracts beetles and other insects that eat other plants
deadly if ingested other sites are wrong , my cousin ate a handfull in our childhood and was found later,dead in the woods
only deadly if eaten in numbers, but only if you eat one it causes dirrea and abdonimal pains and cramps

On Jan 1, 2007, greenkat from Crofton, MD (Zone 7a) wrote:

This little plant was growing in my shady back yard when I bought my house. In my opinion it is not very attractive. It spreads vigorously and the birds in my area don't seem to like the berries. It was a pain in the neck to remove. If you leave a tiny piece of it anywhere it will grow back. I have spent several summers trying to weed out stray clumps of it.

On May 30, 2006, joegee from Bucyrus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:

This is a small plant, but attractive and charming. In the past I have seen red, strawberry-like berries on it. It seems to prefer shade, and moist soil.

On May 2, 2005, ladyannne from Merced, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:

A delightful ground cover, full and lush in morning sun and afternoon shade in hot areas, but you have to let it be happy where IT wants to be. Readily jumps walkways and migrates towards water. The red berries and yellow flowers can't be beat for colour or bird visits. The seeds are plentiful so clip off the red berries to prevent seedlings. The plant will travel underground enough without them!

On Aug 8, 2002, Baa wrote:

A creeping perennial from India, China and Japan.

Has 3-palmate leaves with elongated ovate, toothed, slightly hairy and deeply veined leaflets. Bears solitary, 5 petalled, bright yellow flowers with a conspicuous green calyces. Bright red Strawberry like (in appearance) fruits follow the flowers.

Flowers Late May - September

Will tolerate virtually any situation but prefers humus rich, fertile soil in shade. This ability to live in many situations and the fact that it spreads very quickly by long reaching stolon runners can easily make this an invasive weed which escapes into the wild. The eventual spread is almost indefinite in garden situations it enjoys.

The fruits are edible but don't be fooled, they don't taste like Strawber... read moreries and are very dry and unpalateble.

Divide plants by the rooted plantlets along the stolons, it's much easier to propagate the plant this way than by seed.

Interesting plant with a long season but be aware it may escape out into the wild and/or take over the area it's planted in.