Strawberries do not grow on trees. The garden strawberry, scientifically known as Fragaria × ananassa, is a low-growing, common garden plant. This fruit is widely cultivated around the world and belongs to the rose family, Rosaceae. The plant is a ground-hugging perennial, not a woody structure. Although confusion about the fruit’s origin is common, examining the plant’s biology quickly reveals the truth.
The True Strawberry Plant Habit
The cultivated strawberry plant is an herbaceous perennial, meaning it lacks a woody stem and lives for more than two years. It establishes a central “crown” just above the soil line, from which its leaves and flower stalks emerge. The entire plant structure remains close to the ground, typically reaching a height of only 6 to 12 inches.
The strawberry plant propagates itself primarily through runners, which are specialized, surface-creeping stems also known as stolons. These runners grow outward from the main plant, rooting to form new, genetically identical daughter plants. This spreading, ground-level growth habit contrasts sharply with the upright, woody structure of a tree. The fruit develops from flowers borne on slender stalks, keeping the berries near the soil.
Understanding the Strawberry Fruit Botanically
The scientific classification of the strawberry plant places it in the genus Fragaria, a group of herbaceous plants, not trees or shrubs. The fruit is not a true botanical berry, which must develop from a single ovary of a single flower. Instead, the strawberry is classified as an aggregate accessory fruit.
This classification arises because the edible, fleshy part of the strawberry does not develop from the flower’s ovary wall. The sweet, red flesh is the enlarged and swollen receptacle, the part of the flower stalk that holds the reproductive organs. The actual botanical fruits are the tiny, seed-like specks embedded on the surface, which are called achenes. Each achene is a dry fruit containing a single seed, developed from one of the many separate ovaries in the original flower.
Why People Mistake Strawberries for Tree Fruit
The primary reason for the common misconception is the existence of an unrelated plant known as the “Strawberry Tree,” or Arbutus unedo. This plant is a woody evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe. It belongs to the family Ericaceae, which is distinct from the strawberry’s family, Rosaceae.
The fruit of Arbutus unedo is a red, round berry with a bumpy, textured surface that bears a superficial resemblance to a true strawberry, leading to the misleading common name. The fruit of the Strawberry Tree is often described as bland or mealy when eaten fresh and is typically used for making jams or liqueurs. The coincidence of a woody plant producing a similarly shaped red fruit is purely a naming convention, not a biological connection.