Cicely Mary Barker's Strawberry Flower Fairy

A flower for S!
Is Sunflower he!
He's handsome, yes,
But what of me?-

In my party suit
Of red and white,
And a gift of fruit 
For the feast tonight:

Strawberries small 
And wild and sweet, 
For the Queen and all 
Of her Court to eat!

Strawberry 

also known as Alpine Strawberry

(fragaria vesca)

Strawberries are thought to have been cultivated in ancient Rome. The strawberry, as we know it, was originally grown in northern Europe, but species are also found in Russia, Chile, and the United States. 

The strawberry may have been given its name because the berries seem to be strewn among the leaves of the plant. The plant first had the name strewberry, which later was changed to strawberry. The first American species of strawberries was cultivated about 1835. The strawberry is considered one of the most important small fruits grown in the Western Hemisphere. Today every state in the United States and every province in Canada grows the strawberry plant. 

In France strawberries were cultivated in the 13th Century for use as a medicinal herb. It is said that the leaves, roots and fruits of this variety of strawberry were used for a digestive or skin tonic. Internally, the berry was used for diarrhea and digestive upset, while the leaves and the roots were used for gout. Externally, it was used for sunburn and skin blemishes, and the fruit juice was used for discolored teeth.