This spring we’re asking everyone in Minnesota to look for and report mock strawberries, Potentilla indica, a small non-native shade tolerant plant that’s been found along the eastern edge of Minnesota from SE to the north shore. Mock strawberry, also called false strawberry in EDDMapS, looks very similar to native wild strawberry but has yellow flowers instead of white. In addition, mock strawberry seeds are stacked on the outside of the berry. Both strawberries have 3 leaflets and grow as creeping vines.
Mock strawberry may be surprisingly common in yards and urban natural areas, by asking folks to look for and report this plant to EDDMapS professionals can better understand its distribution and density to assess if it’s causing troubles.
For more information about this project visit: https://z.umn.edu/mockstrawberryTIPS