Wild Strawberry (Fragaria species)

When John Lennon spoke of "strawberry fields forever" he echoed the sentiments of writers since Shakespeare's Henry V of their celebration, love, and wonder of the strawberry. Strawberries, as known in today's produce markets, have been cultivated since the early 1800s when, in France, an accidental cross of a white-fruited variety from Chile and a red-fruited species from the then-colony of Virginia produced a larger, sweeter fruit.