Garden roses are just a small group of the ornamental plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. The largest genus in this family by far is Prunus, with about 430 species which include plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and almonds.
The garden strawberry also falls under the rose family. It was first bred in the 1750’s in France by crossing the Virginia strawberry (or wild strawberry) and the Chilean strawberry. The ‘seed’ on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it. This means that the fruit is not a botanical berry, but an aggregate accessory fruit.
Besides being eaten fresh, strawberries can also be frozen or made into preserves or used in prepared foods. Strawberry flavoring is particularly popular in dairy products. In Sweden, strawberries are a traditional dessert served on Midsummer Eve. In Greece, strawberries are usually sprinkled with sugar and then dipped in Metaxa, a famous brandy, and served as a dessert.
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, flavanoids and phenolic acids. They also contains very high levels of the antioxidant fisetin. One serving of about eight medium sized strawberries will provide 5% of the daily potassium requirement and more than 20% of the daily requirement of manganese.
