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Garden Word of the Day
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Have you ever seen strawberries with leaves growing out of the fruit? This is called vivipary. Vivipary, also known as phyllody, describes a condition that occurs when the embryo within the seed breaks through the seed coat while still attached to the parent plant. Viviparity mean “giving live birth’. Viviparity is normal for mammals, but it looks strange when strawberries and other plants do it.
When strawberries begin to exhibit vivipary, the tiny black seeds on the surface, called achenes, are actually sprouting leaves! These fuzzy strawberries are still edible, but the tiny leaves don’t taste very good. After showing it to all your friends and neighbors, you could try planting the viviparous strawberry, but you wouldn’t have any luck. Strawberry seeds that develop viviparously generally do not develop any roots. Vivipary in strawberries is rare. While vivipary in other plants can be caused by phytoplasms (bacteria-like parasites carried by leafhoppers), physiological damage is the culprit in strawberries. This damage occurs in runners held in cold storage or subject to freezing temperatures during the winter. So, protect your strawberry plants in winter and enjoy those luscious fruit in summer without tiny leaves attached!
Zach
10/4/2019 10:24:54 am
Thank you for this article. Several of my strawberry plants produced this type of growth this year and I was trying to find out if the new seedlings would be viable. No where else I had looked mentioned if the new ones would grow, but you told me what i needed. Thanks!
Kate Russell
10/7/2019 05:40:22 am
Thank you, Zack!
Kate Russell
10/7/2019 05:42:26 am
Hi, Terry.
FRANCINE TRICCA
5/15/2020 02:08:39 pm
merci pour ces explications claires car c'est la 2ème année que mes fraisiers ont cet aspect bizarre et personne ne savait ce que c'était. Il ne fait pas très froid chez nous puisque nous sommes dans le Var mais les nuits sont peut-être trop fraîches.... Encore merci. .
Kate Russell
5/20/2020 06:20:56 am
I don't speak French, but the translation I found tells me you found this information very helpful, so you are very welcome!
Cheri
9/22/2020 05:52:26 am
Is it possible to create this to happen? I think it would be really cool to show my grandsons see it.
Kate Russell
4/19/2022 07:45:39 am
Not that I know of. You may be able to find a video online however. 4/18/2022 07:08:21 am
Can I use viviprous strawberries for germination of new plants
Kate Russell
4/19/2022 07:47:23 am
You can, but you might not want to.
Constance
6/9/2022 10:32:07 am
I purchased three strawberry plants in hanging baskets. They have lovely blossoms and had a few berries early on. Now it seems that many want to go straight to vivipary state instead of maturing into berries. Help! We've had a cool, rainy spring. Comments are closed.
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