# Is the whole strawberry plant edible?



## ZEROPILOT (Mar 20, 2015)

If my tortoises chow down on a leaf or two while eating strawberries, is it OK?


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## Odin's Gma (Mar 20, 2015)

Yep!


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## mini_max (Mar 20, 2015)

Wow, I feel like such a jerk. We eat the strawberries, and then we feed our poor tortoise the leaves only


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## ZEROPILOT (Mar 20, 2015)

It's good to be a mammal!
We get all the perks


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Mar 20, 2015)

Just a word of caution. Strawberries are one of those crops that get a lot of fumigant pesticides, methyl bromide, and the riskiest and hardest to control ones at that, to make sure they are purty for market. Even the organic ones get sprayed with stuff at times. Supposedly these only affect the folks at the farm who do not protect themselves with face masks and gloves, and the folks around the growing areas, but I still think we need to be careful.

Extreme rinse what you give to your torties. And yourself, too, of course.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Mar 20, 2015)

America's strawberry growers are
testing various new methods of
growing beautiful berries like
this one without using methyl
bromide, an effective but
environmentally unfriendly soil
fumigant that's scheduled for
phaseout by 2005.
(K9188-1)

from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/jan01/straw0101.htm?pf=1

The mother earth news article is 14 years old. I don't believe Methyl Bromide is used anymore in the US.


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## Prairie Mom (Mar 20, 2015)

In answer to the Post title regarding the entire plant...

Yes-edible, just like everyone is saying, but I have a little more to add...




Strawberry leaves are a major part of my Sulcata's winter diet... I have become quite dependent on strawberry plants because most of the cold tolerant strawberry plants continue to produce green leaves when mulched in my freezing zone 4 winters.

It's my understanding that strawberry plants contain good amounts of calcium, vitamins A,C,& K plus potassium and a bit of iron. When I researched their edibility, I found MANY websites that claimed strawberry leaves are only edible IF they are completely FRESH GREEN LEAVES or completely DRIED (Apparently their used in teas). I haven't been able to find out exactly what happens, but apparently there is a toxic chemical change to the plant that takes place during the process while the leaves change from green to dried.

The Tortoise Table Admins claim that you can only feed new young leaves and that older leaves are toxic. I have found NOTHING that supports the claim the older green leaves are toxic -NOTHING, but found MANY sources that say they are fine all the way green or all the way dry. My young smallish Sulcata has eaten LARGE amounts of old green strawberry leaves and all is well.
They helped us a lot this past winter! She's growing like ...well...a Sulcata


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## christinaland128 (Mar 20, 2015)

I, myself eat the leaves!


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## Prairie Mom (Mar 20, 2015)

christinaland128 said:


> I, myself eat the leaves!


Do you eat the tiny leaves on the strawberry or are you using plant leaves? I'm intrigued.


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## christinaland128 (Mar 20, 2015)

When I grow them or buy them from the store, I just eat the whole thing! I've also used them in salads and tea.


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## Prairie Mom (Mar 20, 2015)

christinaland128 said:


> When I grow them or buy them from the store, I just eat the whole thing! I've also used them in salads and tea.


pm-ing you


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