The History of Strawberry Plants

Early History

• The ancient Romans considered strawberries a delicacy and believed the berry to be a cure-all for a wide variety of ailments. During Medieval times, people considered strawberries a medicinal food, according to the University of Illinois Extension.

North American Strawberries

• When colonists arrived in North America in the 1600s, they discovered that American Indians enjoyed strawberries in their diet. The University of Illinois Extension reports that a Native American strawberry bread inspired the colonists to develop their own version: strawberry shortcake.

Evolution of Today's Strawberry

• According to Strawberries Web, early strawberries were somewhat tasteless and small. In 1714, a French engineer visiting Chile and Peru discovered a larger, more flavorful strawberry variety and brought seeds back to France, where the resulting plants crossed with an American variety and produced a berry similar to today's fruit.

Shift to California

• North American commercial strawberry production began in 1800 in the east. In 1836, pioneers carted strawberry plants across the continent to Washington state and Oregon. In the early 1970s, California, with its mild, long growing season, took the lead in strawberry production reports the Oregon Strawberry Commission.