Chapters 4.44
4.44.The blue leaf strawberry
Aaron Morton , University of Guelph, Canada
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Suggested citation for this chapter.
Morton,A. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Introduction
Blueleaf strawberries are a perennial plant that produces small, bright red berries that can be for various culinary and medicinal purposes. The blueleaf strawberry is native to much of North America, ranging from the southern United States to Alaska (Schliter, 2017). The berries and leaves of the blue leaf strawberry have been used by various First Nations groups for thousands of years, becoming a symbolic plant to many Indigenous groups across North America. Good overall intro
Plant Background
Blueleaf Strawberries are a part of the Fragaria family. Commercial strawberries are also a part of the Fragaria familybut have been purposely bred to produce larger strawberries (Schliter, 2017). The Blueleaf strawberry has a shallow tap root system, in which one tap root drives deep into the ground, and other primary roots stay shallower than the tap root (Goodrich, 2015). As the blueleaf strawberry is a perennial, it can survive several years. The wild strawberry mainly reproduces asexually through stolon roots. A root will extend out of the crown of the strawberry and allow new plants to grow away from the original strawberry plant (Goodrich, 2015). Wild Strawberries can also reproduce sexually, through seed production. The strawberries will generally flower during spring, and produce seeds encapsulated in the flesh of the berry (Goodrich, 2015). The fruit can then be eaten by animals, transporting the seeds to new areas. Blueleaf strawberries will typically have two flowers containing white petals (Gianetta, 2011). The flowers are small in size and attract various pollinators to the plant. The leaves of the wild strawberry are coarse, round leaves ranging from 2-7 cm long (Gianetta, 2011). Should refer to Fig 1 somewhere in the paragraph
Historical Information
Blueleaf trawberries have significant importance to various Indigenous groups across North America. Wild Strawberries are not a cultivated cropbut harvested as wild fruits. Wild strawberries were typically available for picking in late June to July (Illinois University, 2017). The wild strawberries were often eaten fresh right after picking but were occasionally stored to last throughout the year. Several methods were used to store wild strawberries. The berries were often turned into jams or jellies. They were also sun dried, by placing the berries on large mats to completely dry out in the sun (Illinois University, 2017). In some areas around the west coast of North America, First Nations peoples were able to successfully freeze wild strawberries by using surrounding glaciers and remaining snow in the mountains (Gianetta, 2011). The Dene peoples of modern-day British Columbia were one of the most successful at freezing and preserving blueleaf strawberries (Gianetta, 2011). The leaves of the wild strawberry were also used for vitamin c enriched tea. The tea had medicinal values, as vitamin c protected against diseases such as scurvy and flu viruses (Goodrich, 2015). Blueleaf strawberries not only provided a source of food for First Nations peoples, but also served a ceremonial purpose in countless Indigenous cultures (Gianetta, 2011). In Haudenosaunee culture, wild strawberries became a significant part of their culture. The wild strawberries were considered a gift from the creator. A ceremony was held every year to celebrate the emergence of fresh wild strawberries. At the ceremony, strawberry drinks, foods and even strawberry bread were consumed to honour the plant. The strawberry was also present at important meetings between various tribes and offered as gifts (Gianetta, 2011). Good, you could expand on this part with some images of strawberry in First Nations culture for example, beadwork etc. significance as the “heart berry” etc
Native Plant Ranges
Blueleaf strawberries are native to the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia (Schliter, 2017). The strawberries are native to all of the mainland United States, except Alaska where it is too cold for the blueleaf strawberry to successfully grow. The strawberries grow best in open woodlands and meadows, and have a hard time growing in much of the thick, dense forests throughout the Canadian shield (Schliter, 2017).
Importance to Indigenous people
Various Indigenous groups across Canada have a connection to blue leaf strawberries as food and cultural importance. The berries were not only used for human consumption, but also used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes. In western Canada, the Blackfoot, Dene, Wakashan and Salishan groups used blue leaf strawberries in their daily lives (Gianetta, 2011). The Algonquin, Mi’kmaq and Haudenosaunee are among the Indigenous groups of eastern Canada making use of wild strawberries (Gianetta, 2011).
Consumption and Uses
Blue Leaf strawberries have been consumed in different ways by various Indigenous groups. The berries of the plant are the most widely consumed. The berries were most commonly consumed fresh but were stored if there was an excess of wild strawberries in a particular year. The berries were either sun dried or frozen for long term storage (USDA, 2020). On occasion, wild strawberry juices were made for celebratory events(citation needed). The blue leaf strawberry was present at high level events between different first nations groups. As the berries were prized for their flavour and colour, they symbolised the power of a specific group (Goodrich, 2015). If wild strawberries were gifted from one Nirst nNtions group to another, it would symbolise the respect between the two nations. The berries also helped support the diets of many first nations peoples out of season. In winter, no fresh fruit was available, meaning indigenous peoples could be at risk for vitamin C deficiency and diseases such as scurvy (USDA, 2020). Stored wild strawberry products helped supplement the diets of some first nations people, keeping them healthy through hard winters. The berries were not the only part of the blue leaf strawberry used for consumption and medicinal values. The leaves of the plant were also used to make valuable tea (Schliter, 2017). The leaves would be ground up and soaked in boiling water. As the wild strawberry leaves are also high in vitamin C, Indigenous groups were able to use the tea to supplement the vitamin C in their diets (Schliter, 2017). Could have a summarizing conclusion sentence here. Good detail overall. Good work using some connecting sentences between flow of ideas. This is a long paragraph so it could be divided into fresh and non fresh uses for better flow,
Health Benefits
Wild strawberries were additionally used for medical purposes by a few First Nations groups across Canada. The strawberry leaf tea was not only valuable in supplementing vitamin C into dietsbut was also used to relieve stomach and kidney pains (USDA, 2020). The berries themselves had multiple medicinal uses. In some cases, the juice from the berries was diluted with water and used to soothe pink eyes (USDA, 2020). The same juice was used for soothing cuts, sores, and sunburns (USDA, 2020).
Growing Limitations
The blue leaf strawberry faces many challenges considering commercial growing. The wild strawberries are much smaller than commercially grown strawberries, making marketing and sales the limiting factor for profitable production of blue leaf strawberries (USDA, 2020). Production of the berries would be labour intensive. Inputs would include fertiliser, straw, irrigation, equipment, fuel, and labour (USDA, 2020). The wild strawberries would be competing against a higher yielding, larger, more popular berry. To succeed, a niche market would need to be created and extensive marketing would be necessary to show off any valuable traits that the wild strawberries might have (USDA, 2020).
References
1.Goodrich, R (2015). The Wild Strawberry: A Sacred Purifier. Good Food World. https://www.goodfoodworld.com/2012/11/the-wild-strawberry-a-sacred-purifier/
2.Giannetta, J.(2011). Plains First Nations: Wild Fruit. Saskatchewan Schools Information. http://www.saskschoolsinfo.com/firstnations/fruit1.html#:~:text=Berries%20were%20eaten%20fresh%20or,dried%20next%20to%20a%20fire.
3.Illinois University.(2017). Strawberry Teachings.https://housing.illinois.edu/News/Dining-Events/strawberry
4.Slichter, Paul.(2017). Blueleaf Strawberry: Fragaria Virginia. http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/rose/fragaria/bstraw.htm
5.United States Department of Agriculture.(2020). Wild Strawberries. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/?cid=fsm9_019157