Fragaria × ananassa

Fragaria × ananassa (garden strawberry or strawberry) is a common plant from the Fragaria genus, cultivated worldwide for its accessory fruit. The fruit is appreciated throughout the world, because of its aroma, bright red color, and edibility. Fruit of this species are used in fruit juice, pies, ice cream, and milkshakes. Artificial strawberry aroma is used in several food products.

This species was first bred in Brittany, France, in 1740, by crossing Fragaria virginiana, noted for flavor, and Fragaria chiloensis, noted for its large size.

Cultivars of the garden strawberry have replaced the woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, the first cultivated strawberry, in commercial production.

The strawberry is, technically an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part of the fruit is not derived from the plant's ovaries (achenes), but from the receptacle which holds the ovaries. Each "seed" on the outside of the fruit is actually an ovary from the flower, with a seed inside it.

Cultivation
See Strawberry

Uses
See Strawberry