Indian Strawberry; Duchesnea indica*

Rose Family Strawberries and their kin are in the Rose family. This plant can be a pesky weed, especially if it grows along with real strawberries like they did in my son's garden! It can be very difficult to differentiate between the two without looking closely. Unlike native, white-flowered wild strawberries (Fragraria virginiana), the fruits of this plant are not edible, they are not harmful if a child does sample them though. I photographed these in Oak Ridge in early March. Perennial Where seen:Oak Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Warriors' Path SP, widespread