Indian Strawberry (Duchesnea indica): Ground Cover with Yellow Flowers and Red Fruit

Indian strawberry, also called mock strawberry, is a low, spreading perennial that resembles a strawberry plant but bears yellow (not white) flowers and small, upright, red fruit that is edible but bland. It is often used as a ground cover in shade but can be aggressive.

Botanical Profile

• Family: Rosaceae (rose family)
• Genus: Duchesnea (often included in Potentilla)
• Species: indica
• Synonyms: Fragaria indica, Potentilla indica

Features

Spreads by stolons to form a mat 3–6 inches tall. Leaves are trifoliate, toothed, resembling strawberry. Flowers are yellow, 5-petaled, spring to summer. Fruit is a round, red aggregate (½ inch), dry and tasteless. Evergreen in mild winters.

Culture

Part to full shade. Adaptable to various soils, prefers moist. Hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Can be invasive; spreads aggressively by runners. Easy to control by edging or removal.

Uses

Ground cover for difficult shade, erosion control on slopes, container spiller. Not for refined gardens due to weedy tendency.