Strawberries

The modern strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa) originated in the early eighteenth century in a garden near Brest, France, as a chance cross of two American species. One, the Chilean strawberry (F. chiloensis), is native to the Pacific beaches of North and South America; the other, the Virginia strawberry (F. virginiana), is native to eastern North America. Deliberate improvement began in 1817 with the work of Thomas Knight in England. The ensuing two centuries have given rise to numerous strawberry cultivars differing not only in fruit characteristics but also in disease resistance and adaptability to various soil types and climatic conditions.