New strawberry species found in Oregon, eVGN August 2013

According to USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a recently discovered wild strawberry species provides new genetic material for plant research, and could also provide a new class of commercial strawberries.

ARS scientist Kim Hummer found the new species in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. She named it Fragaria cascadensis. The strawberry, endemic to the Oregon Cascades, is perennial, with white flowers and green leaves. It differs from other strawberry species of the region by having hairs on the upper side of its leaves; a different-shaped middle leaflet; comma-shaped, small brown fruits (called “achenes”) on the strawberry surface; and 10 sets of chromosomes, unlike the eight sets of chromosomes of the commercial strawberry, according to ARS.

The new species begins growing after snowmelt in late May or early June, and flowers in early July. Runner production begins after flowering, and fruit ripens during August for about two weeks. The fruits of plants at about 5,000 feet elevation ripen one to two weeks later than those at 3,280 feet, according to ARS.

Fragaria cascadensis presents the possibility for developing and breeding a new class of cultivated strawberries. If crossed with a commercial strawberry, it would likely result in hybrid offspring with lower fertility. However, crossing the new species with other strawberries having the same number of chromosomes should produce fertile offspring, which may reveal new flavors or genetic disease resistance, according to ARS.