Kildare has its own native wild strawberries

There is nothing like a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream during the summer, and while the strawberries we enjoy are farmed, did you know that in Ireland we have our own native wild strawberries (Sú talún fiáin as Gaeilge).

Many of you, like me, may have fond memories of searching for and picking these small red berries along hedgerows and banks years ago. While they typically flower from April to July each year, this week I came across this wildflower still in bloom and producing its fruit in the greenhouse in the wildlife gardens of the Bog of Allen Nature Centre.

The flowers have five white petals and are held on short hairy stalks. The leaves are bright green, toothed, three lobed and have silky hairs on the underside.

This plant grows well both in direct sunshine and shade. To my surprise we actually have two different types of native strawberry, the second being barron strawberry (Sú talún bréige as Gaeilge). Barron strawberry grows on drier woodland and grassy land.

According to the website www.wildflowersofireland.net it can be distinguished from the wild strawberry as the petals on barron strawberry are more separated by wide gaps which allow the sepals to be seen. The hairs on the underside of the leaf are not flattened and the stems don’t root.

The leaves can also help identify between the two native strawberries as the centre tooth on the tip of the leaf in the barron strawberry is always shorter than the two either side, while in the wild strawberry the centre tooth is longer.

The fruit is said to be the biggest and most distinguishable difference as wild strawberries produce juicy small red berries, whilst the fruit of barron strawberry is drier and inedible.

While outside the greenhouse I don’t expect you to find the juicy berries of wild strawberry this week in your community but do look around and you will notice the variety of autumn berries and seeds on trees and shrubs.

If you would like help identifying a wildlife observation in your community you can contact me on [email protected].