Native American Herbal, Plant Knowledge

STRAWBERRIES

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Wild Strawberries have many varieties

that fit their environment, but their

general botannical name is always

Fragaria. This species is virginiana

Mohawk name: Noon tak tek hah kwa,

meaning "growing where the ground is

burned". Many kinds grow in meadows

and flourish after a brush burnoff.

Anishinaabemowin name: Odeiminidjibik, meaning "root of the heart berry-seeds"; gives its

name to the month of June, Odeiminigiizis, strawberry-gathering moon.

In early spring, as soon at it's safe from frost, the

leaves unfurl, and the plant flowers with white

flowers like these. Leaves picked when the plant's

in flower make the best dried-leaf teas. Use the

flowers, too.

But if you pick leaves now for a leaf tea, it will

tend to harm the plants; you'll get fewer berries

later. It may be better to wait on leaves for

over-winter leaf teas till after you've picked the

berries.

Strawberries-- ID, annotations

http://www.kstrom.net/isk/food/k_straw.html (1 of 3) [5/17/2004 11:51:15 AM]