Scientific Name: Fragaria moschata
Common Name: Hautbois Strawberry
Description: Hardy edible fruit; bears five white, round petals with yellow centers, followed by small, scarlet-red berries in spring
Size: Vigorous, low-growing plants, 5 inches high; spread and multiply by runners
Cultural Information: Prefers full sun and rich, well-drained garden loam; divide and renew plants periodically to regain vigor
USDA Zones: 6 through 8
Historical Notes: Although relatively infrequent in 18th-century Virginia gardens, strawberries abounded at Monticello, because of the abundance of wild fruit, and ranked as one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite fruits. (The strawberry grown in modern times is a hybrid of two wild species: the North American F. virginiana and the Chile strawberry, F. chiloensis, of the Pacific Coast.) The Hautbois strawberry was grown in Europe and in America for its fruits until improved, larger-fruited varieties of the early 19th century took its place. The English used Hautbois for table decoration as well as for eating,[1] and Hautbois was sometimes called Hautboy, which was an English derivative of the French name "Hautbois."[2]
- Peggy Cornett, n.d.
