decorative strawberry plant ( Fragariaspp . ) from time to time produce comestible fruit despite being grow in the main for their heyday and foliage . These showy plants partake most of the same traits as fruiting strawberry varieties and grow mainly within USDA plant hardiness zone 2 to 10 , although hardiness varies between cultivars .
All parts of a strawberry plant are edible , but it is best to double over check that the plant develop in your garden is actually a genuine strawberry before allowing children to eat from it , because some common lookalike plant produce bad - tasting yield .
Tip
Children can safely eat fruit from ornamental strawberry works , although the fruit may not taste good .
Recognizing Ornamental Strawberry Cultivars
Ornamental strawberries with pinkish flowers are most common but there are also some cultivars with bright red blooms .
Pink Panda
The most vulgar cultivar of ornamental strawberry discover in garden is Pink Panda ( Fragaria x ananassa’Pink Panda , ' USDA plant life hardiness zone 4 to 8) . This cultivar is grow chiefly for its 1 - inch - wide pinkish flower but it also may produce edible , tasty fruit . Pink Panda cosmetic strawberry bloom in late summer and will occasionally produce yield , although the yield is very little .
Lipstick
lip rouge strawberries ( Fragaria x’Lipstick , ' USDA zones 2 to 9 ) produces smart as a whip red and dark pink flowers that earned the cultivar its name . The flower appear on and off during the summer and fall month and will at times turn into tasty red berries .
Red Ruby
Red Ruby ( Fragaria x ananassa’Red Ruby , ' USDA zone 5a to 9a ) is another red - bloom ornamental strawberry that once in a while make comestible Berry .
Can Children and Pets Eat the Fruit and Leaves of Ornamental Strawberry Plants?
Ornamental strawberries tend not to fruit well because they are bred for their foliage , but most will occasionally produce low berry that try out similar to fruit strawberries .
Fruit: Less Sweet and Not as Juicy
The fruit looks the same as standard strawberries with the small seeds dotting the outside of the red flesh , but they tend to be much smaller and heavy to spot . One major difference between veritable and decorative strawberry is that the fruit on ornamental strawberry plants is less sweet and racy than standard strawberries .
Leaves: Non-Toxic to Children, Dogs and Cats
All parts of ornamental strawberry plants are edible , so children eating the occasional fruit or even eating strawberry leaf is not a problem . In fact , strawberry leaves are not only eatable , they are nutritious and contain vitamin C , calcium and iron .
Dogs and cats can also safely consume ornamental strawberries , which makes it a good landscaping choice for pace when shaver and favourite play .
Distinguishing Ornamental Strawberry Lookalikes
The low - growing perennial mock strawberry ( Potentilla indica , USDA zones 5a to 9a ) is sometimes false for ornamental strawberries but it is only generally related . It was crossbreed with traditional strawberries to bring out the cosmetic cultivar Pink Panda , but it is not typically produce in dwelling landscapes because it can become weedy and invasive .
Can you eat mock strawberries?
Mock strawberry resemble ornamental strawberry , but the flowers are yellow and the 1/2 - inch - spacious red yield lack the international seeds found on unfeigned strawberry . The yield also stands erect , unlike strawberries , which incline to hang up downwardly toward the ground . This fruit is dependable to eat but it is teetotal and bland .
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