| It is difficult to trace the ancient history of the | | | | development of the modern day commercial |
| strawberry plant or strawberry tree, because there | | | | strawberry industry. |
| are so many different, complex, undefined species, and | | | | William Bartram noted several discoveries of |
| they have evolved in so many different places and | | | | strawberries in his famous early botanical book, |
| countries. | | | | Travels, in 1773 stating: "gliding swiftly between the |
| Pliny described the strawberry tree, Arbutus in his | | | | fruitful strawberry banks," page 328, " a gentle breeze |
| early writings of the Roman culture in the first century, | | | | continually wafted from the fragrant strawberry fields, |
| AD. | | | | and aromatic Calycanthean groves on the surrounding |
| Strawberry trees, Cudrania tricuspidata, have been | | | | heights," page 329. "The meadows presented for my |
| known since antiquity and have been so named | | | | acceptance, the fragrant red strawberry, in painted |
| because the berries growing on the trees resemble | | | | beds of many beds surface, indeed I may say, many |
| the familiar fruiting strawberry that grows on the | | | | hundreds," page 342. Bartram states that he visited a |
| ground. Some strawberry trees have a mideastern | | | | company of Indian girls "having baskets of |
| origin and others come from China. One strawberry | | | | strawberries" and a very agreeable good woman |
| tree of a substantial size was planted 200 years ago | | | | treated us with cream and strawberries," page 347. |
| by early settlers at Sea Island, Georgia, and this tree | | | | Dr. George Darrow of Cornell University and the New |
| reliably produces abundant crops every year. | | | | York Agricultural Station worked with strawberry |
| Strawberry trees are easy to grow and are thorny | | | | plants for half a century and was instrumental in |
| until the thick bark develops and sloughs off the thorns. | | | | developed higher yielding strawberry plants in larger |
| The large fruiting strawberry tree increases in yield and | | | | fruited berries with a better flavored strawberry and |
| fruit size each year, and the berries begin ripening in | | | | resistant to diseases. |
| July and continue developing and growing into the fall. | | | | Strawberry plants are grown by many backyard |
| The mature strawberry tree, Che, can grow to 30 | | | | gardeners, but commercial production comes from |
| feet tall. | | | | strawberry plantings in Florida fields in winter and from |
| The strawberry tree transplants best when dormant, | | | | California fields in the fall. The commercial production |
| and large trees sometimes produce strawberries the | | | | and growing of strawberries has become very |
| first year. The exotic strawberry tree is sometimes | | | | complicated, because of virus presence in some |
| called the Che tree from China. | | | | non-certified strawberry plants. To grow the |
| Not only is the strawberry from these trees delicious, | | | | strawberry at a home garden, a grower should begin |
| but it is also fragrant, attractive red in color, and as | | | | with buying and planting certified strawberry plants. To |
| large as a half-dollar, with a flavor somewhere | | | | obtain certification, a buyer of strawberry plants must |
| between a fig and a strawberry. | | | | purchase the plants that were grown from foundation |
| Another type of strawberry tree is Arbutus unedo that | | | | plant stock grown for one year and freed from virus |
| only grows half the size of the Che tree. | | | | growth by growing in tissue culture for a period and |
| Pliny described the ground strawberry as a natural | | | | applying virus indexing that is enforced by the Federal |
| berry growing in Rome in the first century AD. Many | | | | and State governments. Strawberry plants, Fragaria x |
| Europeans were afraid to eat berries growing and | | | | ananassa, are grown commercially on sterilized soil |
| touching the ground, fearing that they might be polluted | | | | using the fumigant, methyl bromide, or other chemical |
| by snakes, rats, and other wildlife animals. | | | | soil treatments. |
| The strawberry can be seen in religious paintings of | | | | Strawberry plants must be replaced after a few |
| the 1400's. The strawberry fruit was pictured in | | | | years, since the strawberry plant clones decline each |
| paintings, because of its pure red color and graceful | | | | year. These worn out plants can be replaced with |
| shape. | | | | new, certified strawberry plants. The mother plants |
| The strawberry plants were being cultivated in Europe | | | | can be planted when dormant, and the center (crown) |
| during the 1300's, but never in commercial quantities. | | | | will develop daughter plants that spread to form |
| Records in England show that King Henry the 8th | | | | mounds by stolons or runners. Cultivated strawberries, |
| purchased strawberries for eating in 1530. | | | | Fragaria x ananassa, yield heavily if fertilized and |
| The Virginia strawberry, Fragaria virginiana, a wild | | | | irrigated frequently. The roots of strawberry plants |
| species was exported from the United States colony | | | | grow very shallowly and should be planted to grow in |
| in the 1600's to England, where it was favorable in | | | | full sun, so that the berries will be sweet and |
| taste, quality, size, and yields over the native European | | | | large-fruited. 75% of strawberries are sold fresh and |
| strawberry. After these two types of strawberry | | | | 25% are sold frozen. Strawberries are perishable, but |
| plants were planted in close proximity to each other, | | | | can be held at stores at 32 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 |
| natural hybrids began to grow and substantial | | | | to 7 days. |
| improvements were the foundation of the | | | | |