There is a little known strawberry that comes from South America and has recently been snatched back from the very brink of extinction. It is white and has scarlet red pips and is remarkably beautiful. Unlike its cousin the red strawberry it has a flavour similar to a very mild pineapple and so children find it delicious. The wild plant has been rescued and is now being grown and promoted under another name. It is being offered as a ‘pineberry’ – so if you see it advertised and want to do your bit in promoting this rare plant then why not grow one or two in your garden. They are reputed to be hardy and because they are wild they will flourish year-after-year. All they need is a little space – a garden patch; window box; flowerpot; tub. They tolerate semi-shade so let’s all help this little plant and make it popular and more widely known. If you do see it for sale then please leave a little comment here so that we can spread the information and more of us will be able to grow it to make sure that it is not lost from this planet forever. Thank you.
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34 comments:
it's so pretty, it almost looks like it's been dipped in white chocolate. I'll have to keep my eyes open for these
That is beautiful! I wonder if it would grow in the UK. I've never seen it before.
very beautiful fruit. I love it, and agree with its new name.
It certainly is pretty...
many beautiful things in this world that I have never seen, like this fruit. thanks for sharing
It certainly is pretty...
It's so pretty. I wonder if it tastes exactly as the reds ones.
Wow! It's my first time to see this type of strawberry. Would love to taste it! ^_^
Does this variety grow in tropical areas? Hope it does so I can plant it in my backyard. :D
Looks unusual. If I see any, I'll give them a go. :-) So far this year I've added a gooseberry bush and redcurrants to the garden.
Ann - It is a fruit that many of the ancient civilizations used ... so perhaps we should all begin to eat it when we are able. You never know it might unlock some of the wonderful knowledge that they were in possession of.
'Heres to dreams!'
Babs, As it is reportedly hardy, I should think that it should flourish in our gardens. It is supposed to be a stronger strain than it's cousin the 'red strawberry' which begs the question why has it become so threatened? Perhaps too much emphasis is being placed on us all eating brightly coloured fruits instead of a wide variety of them. After all look at the health benefits of eating one banana every day - they are packed full of so many vitamins and minerals - they are said to be the fruit version of a vitamin and mineral tablet. What are we all coming too when we have such comparisions given to us?
June, From the information out there I should think that as long as you water it well you should get a fabulous crop.
John, Remember what they say you find under gooseberry bushes! ;)
Polly. The only place that I see them being sold is in the UK
Here is a link to the supermarket chain. They maybe able to tell you where to get seeds.
http://www.waitrose.presscentre.com/Press-Releases/Waitrose-exclusively-presents-Pineberries-set-to-be-cream-of-the-summer-crop-5ad.aspx
Sounds like an April Fools Day joke to me...
It would be great if it were real...
Did you hear about The Sun newspaper report that it has developed the world's first flavored newspaper page and invited readers to lick a square of newsprint "to reveal a hidden taste." Just below the spot to be licked was the fine-print warning: "May contain nuts."
Grampy, I have found the seeds for similar white strawberries - namely the European variety at:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Strawberry+White+Soul+Seeds+179198.htm?sku=179198
Grampy, There is also another seed site for a white European variety:
http://www.dobies.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Seeds/Strawberry+White+Soul+438889.htm?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=freedirectory&utm_campaign=Vegetable-Seeds&utm_term=438889&%24%24tid=5VafZimzllNgSLB8btq0Uxh5HZ5iOx-TOyZ3v5y8iIgFzCHqKcYHNx16kb6q5XC-
THIS WILL NOT STOP ME LOOKING FOR THE SOUTH AMERICAN VARIETY WHICH HAS THE RED PIPS - APPARENTLY THE EUROPEAN ONES HAVE GREEN PIPS ... at least we'll all be able to tell the difference now.
ALL WHITE STRAWBERRIES ARE NOTED TO BE MUCH SWEETER THAN THE RED VARIETIES ... SO NO NEED FOR SPRINKLING ON SUGAR.
Hazel, It is not an April fool joke!! White strawberries are out there.
HOORAY!! I think that I may well have found them ... take a look at this link. The strawberries look as though they have red pips to me what does everyone else think?
http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/1253?actionName=view_other_vegetables&itemname=STRAWBERRY+'WHITE+DELIGHT'&page=1
Wow..I´m a strawberry milkshake lover. I had never seen white strawberries before. Here in my corner of the world we have plenty..but all red.
Thanks for sharing :)
Mizé.
Polly I believe you are right. I am going to send away for them. See what happens. Thanks for the Link.
Grampy ... Having looked again - I do not think these particular strawberries/seeds are the South American variety. Their flavour it says is very sweet and creamy (Strawberries and cream rolled into one - how glorious that sounds). The South American ones however it says taste like mild sweet pineapple.
I too though are now very tempted by this European variety and the seeds are very reasonably priced so I am very tempted to send for some and have my strawberries and cream all in one fruit. I will probably mix them with the red strawberries I grow though.
Just a little extra note: I used to have the wild strawberries in my garden - these have much more flavour than the commercial ones and they too are sweeter. All of the wild strains are worth growing as although the fruit size is much smaller the flavour is far richer and they are not subject to the problem of pests! The wild varieties also grow well in tubs, baskets ... etc to you can sneak them in all over the place. They are also very easy to make new plants as they throw runners which if you peg into the ground with a bit of wire will make a new plant - just chop off the runner when the new plant starts to grow and then plant it into its new position.
I haven't seen them here, but I will ask my grocer.
I love it! I have never seen anything like it!!!
So very unique and beautiful~
~Have an Egg-ceptional and Eggs-traordinary Easter~
What do you find under gooseberry bushes? Babies?
The Wikipedia page for the Pineberry seems to suggest it's a hoax:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineberry
I couldn't find any at the garden centre today :-(
A little more information about the pineberry or 'the oldest known strawberry' ....
Here is a site with more details:
http://www.vitalberry.eu/pineberries/
The berries are now grown at this place to supply the trade ... as yet apparently no seeds for the masses - not from this producer at any rate.
John - It will probably be a while before we can get hold of the seed for this particular variety of white strawberry. Their are if you look among the comments other varieties that are superb and many that taste like sweetened strawberries and cream rolled into one fruit. The seeds for these are all very reasonably priced.
The South American - Chile white strawberry aka pineberry will most probably be first available at Thompson and Morgan they are usually the first to make unusual produce available to the general public - http://search.thompson-morgan.com/search?w=berries
take a lool at what's currently available - I think it is perhaps just a matter of time ...
and in reference to Wikipedia - they won't even recognise current used names for items - I think that perhaps they have a little too much control on what goes into the 'knowledge.'
If you check out their site and look for the item 'stale' this is a recognised name for a wooden tool handle as in a rake, broom, etc ... you will find that it doesn't exist. It sometimes pays to check further than the lank of the Wiki!
It's so beautiful! Wouldn't it make a delicious looking and tasting pie or cobbler? I think I'll ask the garden center near me to see if they can get some of the plants. Thank you for posting this.
Wow, I've never seen this Pineberry before.Thanks for the info. I hope to plant one of this kind.
Happy Easter!!!
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it looks really pretty!
my dad likes to garden and I'm 15 and i was the one who cloned our african violet. I also got a aloe vera plant and found out i can clone that too. This was in a catalog of seeds he had out and i wanted to plant it sometime, It was a burpee catalog i do believe.
I like to know if they will grow in Tucson AZ?
They do sell the seeds on line.
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