Strawberry: 29 facts about the lovely fruit!

The strawberry is a really tasty fruit.

Strawberry is one of a kind fruit, that many people love. Let’s find out more about it!

1. The strawberry is also known as garden strawberry.
2. It is a hybrid species.
3. It belongs to the genus Fragaria.
4. This is why strawberry’s botanical name is “Fragaria ananassa.”
5. Strawberry is a member of the rose family.
6. The strawberry plant is a perennial.
7. So if you plant one now, it will come back next year and the following and the year after that.
8. Strawberries are cultivated worldwide for their fruit.
9. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. 
10. Its color normally is red.
11. Even though its name has it, strawberry is not a berry.
12. In 2017, the world production of strawberries was 9.2 million tonnes.
13. China led the way by producing 40% of the total.
14. The very first garden strawberry was grown in Brittany, France.
15. This happened during the late 18th century.
16. Prior to this, wild strawberries and cultivated selections from wild strawberry species were the common sources of the fruit.
17. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen each spring.
18. Unlike some other fruits, they don’t continue to ripen after being picked.
19. There are 200 seeds on an average strawberry.
20. Strawberries are the only fruit that wear their seeds on the outside. 
21. Belgium has a museum dedicated to strawberries.
22. There is beer made out of… strawberry!
23. The ancient Romans thought strawberries had medicinal powers.
24. They used them to treat everything from depression to fainting to fever, kidney stones, bad breath, and sore throats.
25. It is believed that strawberries are… aphrodisiac.
26. Strawberries contain high levels of nitrate.
27. Research suggests that people who load up on strawberries before exercising have greater endurance and burn more calories.
28. Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges!
29. According to a legend, if you cut a double strawberry into two and share the other part with the opposite gender, you would soon fall in love.