How to identify Mock strawberry (Potentilla indica)
Mock strawberry, also known as False strawberry
Mock strawberry presents with yellow flowers that are easily mistaken for those in its Potentilla relatives, while its fruits bear a strong resemblance to Fragaria (strawberry) species. The plant exhibits a ground-hugging habit, spreading laterally via stolons. This results in a propagation of leafy runners, with the capacity to cover significant ground areas. Its foliage is typically trifoliate, resembling that of a classic strawberry plant. The inconspicuous fruits of mock strawberry are deemed edible but are generally unflavored and dry in texture. Despite regular mowing, mock strawberry shows remarkable resilience by sprouting back quickly and maintaining its proliferation in various disturbed soils.
Lifespan: Perennial, Annual
Plant Type: Herb
Leaf Type: Deciduous
Yellow solitary flowers with 5 obovate petals and 5 green sepals, blooming late spring to early summer.
Bright red drupes with bumpy texture, lacking juiciness, and distinct from strawberries.
Trailing growth with runners rooting at nodes, fostering lateral spread in disturbed soils.
Compound leaves with trifoliate pattern, toothed margins, and new plantlets at leaf tip ends.
Stems over 12 inches long, green to reddish-green, hairiness, and flat growth habit.
The leaves of mock strawberry are compound and consist of three ovate to elliptic leaflets. Each leaflet measures approximately 3/4 to 1¾ inches (2 to 4.5 cm) in length. They exhibit medium to dark green, hairless upper surfaces, while the lower surfaces have sparse hairs. The leaf margins are toothed, and the leaflets connect at a single point, forming a trifoliate pattern. The plant exhibits trailing growth with new plantlets often forming at leaf tip ends.
The flowers of mock strawberry are solitary and yellow, each featuring 5 obovate petals approximately 0.5-0.75 inches (1.3-1.9 cm) in length. They are accompanied by 5 green sepals and numerous short stamens with yellow anthers. These blooms typically present a vivid yellow color, making them distinct and noticeable. The flowers lack a noticeable fragrance and generally bloom from late spring to early summer.
The stem of mock strawberry can extend over 12 inches (30 cm) in length and is characterized by its sparse hairiness. It possesses runners—horizontal stems that root at the nodes, where leaves attach. These stems lie flat on the ground, facilitating the spread of the plant. The texture is slightly coarse due to the sporadic hairs, and the stems are green to reddish-green in color. They are relatively thin, measuring approximately 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) in diameter.
The fruit of mock strawberry is characterized by eye-catching, bright red drupes roughly ? inch (? cm) in diameter, with a spheroid to ovoid contour. The surface of these soft fruits is covered with tiny red seeds embedded within, known as achenes, imparting a distinctive bumpy texture. Despite a superficial similarity to strawberries, these fruits lack juiciness and are notable for their comparatively bland taste and somewhat dry flesh.
Scan QR code to download
Gardenia jasminoides is an evergreen shrub with unique, glossy evergreen leaves and stunning flowers. The sophisticated, matte white flowers are often used in bouquets. The exceptional beauty of this ornamental plant has made it a popular and highly appreciated plant amongst gardeners and horticulturalists.
The golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a popular houseplant that is commonly seen in Australia, Asia, and the West Indies. It goes by many nicknames, including "devil's ivy", because it is so hard to kill and can even grow in low light conditions. Golden pothos has poisonous sap, so it should be kept away from pets and children.
Solanum lycopersicum is an annual or perennial herbaceous vine native to Central and South America that produces a large, juicy, edible fruit known as tomato. Today there are over 10000 cultivated varieties. Although tomato is the world’s most popular vegetable, botanically it is a fruit.
The pepper are commonly used for cooking in places such as the Southern U.S. and Central America. Most are moderately spicy, though because there are so many variants, the spice level can vary dramatically. Cayenne powder is also a popular seasoning product made from pepper plants.
The swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) produces bright, glossy leaves and makes a popular houseplant. It is originally native to tropical forest regions in Central America. The nickname swiss cheese plant refers to the small holes that develop in the plant's leaves. The long fruits resemble corncobs and smell sweet and fragrant when ripe.
The bigleaf hydrangea is a deciduous shrub native to Japan, and is known for its lush, oval, colorful inflorescence. The two types of Hydrangea macrophylla are mopheads - with large, ball-shaped, sterile flower clusters, and lace capes - with small round fertile flowers in the center, and sterile flowers on the outer side of each inflorescence. Depending on soil pH, blooms can change color from pink to blue.
Identify a Plant Online
Scientific Classification of Mock strawberry
