TIPS Project:

Mock strawberry

2023 Complete

Project Summary

In Minnesota, there were 17 new reports of mock strawberry in 2023. Of those one was treated. Most reports were in the Twin Cities or Rochester with one new report from near highway 56 and county road 44 south of the Twin Cities. Nine reports were near buildings while the other 8 were in natural areas. All reported locations were in or near built areas.

Image from EDDMapS

Bugwood.org photo, mock strawberry by Richard Carter, Valdosta State University, Bugwood.org 

You can help!

Help the University of Minnesota Extension better understand the distribution and density of non-native mock (or false) strawberry, Potentilla indica, in untended and natural areas in Minnesota. This species has been identified in the Twin Cities, Rochester and on the north shore, but we suspect it's more widely distributed than that. 

Mock strawberry ID

Learn how to quickly and confidently identify mock strawberry by visiting this MN Wildflowers website. Notice that the flowers are yellow rather than the white of native strawberry, and the seeds are perched on the outside of the berry.

Photo of mock strawberry fruit and flower by A. Gupta

How to use EDDMapS

This new 4:54 video demonstrates how to use EDDMapS. For this project "positive" means you are reporting the presence of mock strawberry, called false strawberry, Potentilla indica, in EDDMapS. "Negative" or absence reporting is not required for this project, but can be done if you looked for and didn't find mock strawberry.
Please note: mock strawberry is called false strawberry in EDDMapS.


All questions about this project should be directed to Angela Gupta, UMN Extension Forester, agupta@umn.edu