Wild Strawberry (Sú talún fiáin)

Finding this plant growing wild and picking off the tiny sweet ‘strawberries’ is the cherry on the cake if you’re out on a walk anywhere in Ireland. Also known as Alpine strawberry, Fragaria vesca is native to Ireland and a popular choice among permaculturists. The berries are not actually berries, technically speaking: the fruits of this plant are really the tiny pips on the surface of the 'strawberry', and the 'strawberry' is in fact the swollen base of the flower. It’s a very small plant with a trailing habit, bright green leaves and white flowers, just like a smaller version of the commercial strawberry plant, sending out runners which root at the nodes. Great in an edibles scheme, a marginal or woodland patch, as part of a permaculture garden or indeed for the younger generation of gardeners.

Site: Tolerates some exposure
Soil: Any moist but well-drained
Position: Full sun to part shade
Season of Interest: Trailing semi-evergreen; red berries
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: 3-17in (10-40cm) Spread: 2-3ft (0.5-1m)