Thestrawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a widely grownhybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genusFragaria is in the rose family,Rosaceae. Strawberries are appreciated for their aroma, bright red colour, juicy texture, and sweetness. They are eaten either fresh or in prepared foods such asjam,ice cream, andchocolates. Artificial strawberry flavourings and aromas are widely used in commercial products. Botanically, the strawberry is not aberry, but an example of anaggregate fruit and anaccessory fruit. Each apparent "seed" on the outside of a strawberry is actually anachene, a botanical fruit with a seed inside it. The garden strawberry was first bred inBrittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross ofF. virginiana, from eastern North America, andF. chiloensis, which was brought from Chile byAmédée-François Frézier in 1714.Cultivars ofF. × ananassa have replaced the woodland strawberryF. vesca in commercial production. In 2023, world production of strawberries exceeded ten million tons, led by China, with 40 percent of the total. Thesefocus-stacked photographs show two garden strawberries, one whole and one halved, that were grown in Spain.Photograph credit:Ivar Leidus