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They look very similar (though probably larger) to mock strawberries (which are not really strawberries either.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_indic

They look very similar (though probably larger) to mock strawberries (which are not really strawberries either.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_indica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_indica Incidentally: from a botanical perspective, strawberries are not berries. Nor do they even taste like straw!

ncmncm 5y ago
Botanically, practically nothing we call a berry is a berry except blue-. And practically every other fruit is a berry. The word is a wastebasket. Today I learned that papaya is closely related to cabbage.
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  > Botanically, practically nothing we call a berry is a berry except blue-. cran-, elder-, lingon-, among others. (Also, the fruit of the strawberry tree, unlike either strawberries or mock strawberries.)
silviot 5y ago
I'm not sure it's connected to the origin of the word, but when I saw straw laid down in strawberry fields like this [1] I thought the name comes from that custom. I believe (still, I could be wrong) that the straw is put there to prevent weeds from getting sunlight. [1] https://i0.wp.com/oaeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/German-strawberry-field.jpg?w=1532&ssl=1 https://i0.wp.com/oaeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Ger...
- gweinberg 5y ago
  There are multiple theories as to where the name strawberry comes from, but that one is known to be wrong, because the name dates back to before they were cultivated. The one I find most plausible is that it comes from "strewn berry". Similarly, gooseberries never had anything to do with geese, the name is supposed to come from a Dutch or French or German or Japanese word, none of which sound much like gooseberry.
  - thraway54321 5y ago
    How strange. Growing up in sweden we used to put wild strawberries on straws of grass. It's a simple way to hold multiple berries without some kind of container and without risking crushing them. A quick google search for "smultron på strå" turns up loads of pictures so it seems to be quite a common occurrence. I've never really considered that the word strawberry could have a different origin.

ncmncm 5y ago

Botanically, practically nothing we call a berry is a berry except blue-. And practically every other fruit is a berry. The word is a wastebasket. Today I learned that papaya is closely related to cabbage.

dragonwriter 5y ago
> Botanically, practically nothing we call a berry is a berry except blue-. cran-, elder-, lingon-, among others. (Also, the fruit of the strawberry tree, unlike either strawberries or mock strawberries.)

silviot 5y ago

I'm not sure it's connected to the origin of the word, but when I saw straw laid down in strawberry fields like this [1] I thought the name comes from that custom. I believe (still, I could be wrong) that the straw is put there to prevent weeds from getting sunlight. [1] https://i0.wp.com/oaeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/German-strawberry-field.jpg?w=1532&ssl=1 https://i0.wp.com/oaeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Ger...

gweinberg 5y ago
There are multiple theories as to where the name strawberry comes from, but that one is known to be wrong, because the name dates back to before they were cultivated. The one I find most plausible is that it comes from "strewn berry". Similarly, gooseberries never had anything to do with geese, the name is supposed to come from a Dutch or French or German or Japanese word, none of which sound much like gooseberry.
- thraway54321 5y ago
  How strange. Growing up in sweden we used to put wild strawberries on straws of grass. It's a simple way to hold multiple berries without some kind of container and without risking crushing them. A quick google search for "smultron på strå" turns up loads of pictures so it seems to be quite a common occurrence. I've never really considered that the word strawberry could have a different origin.