Musk strawberry

Fruits of musk strawberry ( Fragaria moschata)

The musk strawberry or cinnamon strawberry ( Fragaria moschata ) belongs to the rose family ( Rosaceae ). It grows preferentially at the edges of forests, but also in damp locations bushes.

Appearance

The musk strawberry is an evergreen, perennial, herbaceous plant. It reaches heights of growth to 40 cm, which is greater than the growth in the garden strawberry.

The musk strawberry flowers from May to June and matures over the summer. Five small outer sepals surrounding a flower. A so alternating circuit is formed of the actual five sepals. It is followed by five white petals. Unlike the similar-looking Wild Strawberry cinnamon strawberry has horizontally projecting hairs on the flower stems and the bracts are 5 to 10 mm length greater than that of the related art Male and female flowers occur on separate individuals before ( dioecious or dioecious ). In culture, there are also hermaphroditic plants, but it is assumed that these are hybrids with the hill - strawberry. The forming false fruit is not a berry, as the name suggests, but a collective nut fruit. The leaves are in three fingered with fiedernerviger veins and serrated leaf edge

Occurrence

The musk strawberry grows preferentially along the edges of forests and requires moist and protected locations because they strong temperature fluctuations, especially night frosts, not tolerate, especially in the late spring. It thrives in nutrient- rich soils. The musk strawberry was grown earlier in Germany, but is now to find relatively rare in gardens since it was largely replaced by the cultivars of the garden strawberry because of the larger cultural effort and smaller fruits.

Use as a food

The cinnamon and musk strawberry has long been in culture, secured in parts of Europe is its cultivation since the early 17th century ( illustration in the Hortus Eystettensis as fraga fructu magno ). At the beginning of the 19th century it was the most common, represented in the garden strawberry in Germany. Until World War II, the four country were their main growing area near Hamburg, so she was also often " Four countries Strawberry". Currently, it is only in Italy, around Milan cultivated to any significant extent as " Profumata di Tortona ". Otherwise, they can be found scattered among lovers. Musk strawberries are distinguished by a characteristic sweet and aromatic taste which is comparable to the " nutmeg " flavor of some grape varieties. Their cultivation is little difference from that of other garden strawberries, however, it is necessary to set as pollinators in addition to female and male or hermaphrodite plants.

Cultivars:

• ' Capron royal ' hermaphrodite
• ' Bauwens ', female
• ' Profumata di Tortona ', female
• ' Askungen ' ( Truedsson ) hermaphrodite
• ' Marie Charlotte ' (Hans) hermaphrodite
• ' Cotta ', male