Huge historical confusion: what is the difference between strawberries and strawberries

Everyone knows garden strawberries, but they call them completely differently: some Victoria, some strawberries, and some strawberries. Although these are quite different types of berries and they have plenty of differences. So why is this confusion happening, and what is the difference between strawberries and strawberries?

Botanical differences

Strawberries and strawberries belong to different botanical species and differ from each other in a number of ways:

1. Most strawberry varieties are dioecious. That is, male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are located on different plants. This information is very important for any gardener for quite obvious reasons: only male or only female plants on a plot or balcony will not bear fruit. Strawberries are monoecious, you do not need to take into account the floor of the seedlings.
2. Strawberries (especially wild strawberries) are much smaller, and are elongated in shape. The strawberries are generally larger and the fruit is more like a ball.
3. At the same time, large-fruited strawberries are often popularly called Victoria or strawberries, although the size of the berries is the only thing that these varieties have in common.
4. The color of strawberries is uneven: red-violet where the sun warmed more strongly, and white with a pink shiny tint on a shaded barrel.
5. The pulp is white or with white streaks and a shaft. Strawberries have a uniformly pink cut.
6. Strawberry bushes are higher, in some varieties they stretch up to 40 cm.
7. The structure of strawberry leaves is slightly ribbed, the color is light green, they are soft and more pubescent.
8. Peduncles are another noticeable sign. In strawberries, they are thick, erect, higher than the leaves and, especially during the flowering period, significantly overlap them. To collect the strawberries, you have to move the leaves and look from below.
9. It is believed that strawberry yields are much lower. This is also why many gardeners prefer its rival, strawberries.
10. The latter, by the way, is also considered an incredibly fast-growing culture.
11. Strawberries have a stronger aroma and richer taste, but are inferior in sweetness to their sister.

And this, of course, is not a complete list of all the botanical differences between strawberries and strawberries. Not to mention the intravarietal differences of each of these plants.

Differences in care

Strawberries are relatively cold-hardy and generally more hardy. On the contrary, strawberries are capricious: they suffer equally from cold, shade and bright sunlight. This round berry needs a bright but diffused light.

Since strawberries are dioecious, they have to be planted in seedlings, and placed in the garden in a certain order. One male plant for several females. If you plant bushes of the same sex, there will be no harvest at all.

For the same reason for dioeciousness, strawberries are more difficult to pollinate, so the risk of a decrease in yield is higher.

General care:

• both species do not tolerate dampness, stagnant moisture and waterlogged soil,
• respond well to loosening and moderate watering,
• prefer mulched soil;
• love the same fertilizers;
• both species are considered bad predecessors for each other and grow better after greens, radishes or carrots.

Interesting fact
The Victoria strawberry variety, named after the Queen of England, was one of the first introduced to Russia. Now many varieties of garden strawberries, especially large-fruited, are popularly called Victoria. In fact, today it is a collective name.

What's better

The choice between strawberries and strawberries depends on the preferences and goals of the grower. In temperate climates, strawberries ripen better, and they also produce larger and more aromatic fruits. And it's easier to collect them.

On the other hand, strawberries are more fruitful, ripen earlier, taste noticeably sweeter and are never sour. You don't need to track the seedling floor or attract more pollinators. Its disadvantages are the inconvenience in harvesting, small berries and relative moodiness in terms of care.

Great confusion in terms

The crops that are commonly called strawberries or victorias are actually nothing more than a variety of strawberries. And especially often confusion occurs precisely with large-fruited garden strawberries (sometimes called pineapple) and with meadow strawberries. Moreover, this is not the illiteracy of gardeners and ordinary people, but a historically established tradition.

The word "strawberry" itself comes from the old Russian "club" - spherical. That gave rise to a lot of confusion during further classification. And as a result, a separate type of strawberry began to be called strawberry - musky strawberry (aka European / garden strawberry).

One thing is clear: strawberries, strawberries or victoria - whatever you call these delicious and very healthy berries, both a child and an adult will be happy to eat them. And the benefits and aesthetic pleasure will be in addition to everything.