Wild Strawberry

Wild strawberry is a spreading perennial with white flowers and grows to 12 in (30 cm) high.  It grows in moist black soil prairies, openings and edges of woodlands, and areas along railroads (Deng & Neverman).  They are frost-hardy plants, need full sun or light shade and protection from wind. 

Belacourt (2007) tells us that in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwemowin), the month of June is called "Ode'imingiizis," or "Strawberry Moon" (p.53).

You can tell whether you're looking at Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry) or Fragaria virginiana (Smooth Wild Strawberry) by studying the teeth at the tip of the leaves.  If the middle tooth is shorter than the other two, it's Smooth Wild Strawberry.  The Woodland Strawberry look a bit shaggier.  (Krieger, 2017)

It reproduces mainly with long hairy runners, usually a dull red colour, which form new roots to form plantlets.  Wild Strawberry needs to reproduce this way because its seed germination is poor.  After it produces fruits in hot summer months it becomes dormant.  The root system is perrenial, so new leaves and flowers will grow the next year. (Deng & Neverman)

Hard to find because they're small, wild strawberries were saved for Christmas and New Year's as a special treat in Metis communities (Plants Growing Along the River, wild strawberry).

Wild Strawberry is used a lot for the mouth.  Its stems and roots are boiled as a tea to treat mouth problems. (MacKinnon et al., p. 178).  The roots can be used as a "chewing stick" (toothbrush) (Foster & Duke, p.53) and eating the berries can help whiten the teeth (Gray, p. 231).  A mouthwash of the leaves and root can help with toothaches and gum ulcers (Gray, p. 230).

The berries and leaves are also a Vitamin C supplement. 

The leaf tea is traditionally used to cleanse the stomach and treat sickness (MacKinnon et al., p. 178), as a wash for sunburns (Foster & Duke, p.53), and to reduce stress (Belacourt, p. 54).  Because the leaves are rich in iron, they can also help to prevent anemia (Gray, p. 230).

The leaf and root tea is also used for intestinal disorders like diarrhea and juandice because it is recognized as a blood purifier. (Belacourt, p. 54) 

The berries contain ellagic acid which has been reported to have properties that help treat cancers of the breast, esophagus, skin, colon, prostate, and pancreas.  (Gray, p. 230)