This is going to be a four-part series on strawberry anatomy. We’ll start with the flower (part 1), move to fruit (part 2) and leaves (part 3) and finish on the crown and root (part 4). Knowing a plant’s anatomy is important because it helps us understand how it grows and develops and allows us to communicate accurately about what’s happening and when.

Understanding the flower is key. After all, no flower; no fruit. How the flower functions and develops will make the difference between a full, beautiful berry, an aborted fruit or a misshapen one.

Before the bloom

Strawberry flowers start out as tight little buds (Fig. 1). The green, leaf-like parts around the outside are called sepals, and together they form the calyx—the “cap” that stays on the fruit even after it’s picked.

Inside the flower

Once the bud opens, you can see all the flower parts clearly. Right in the center is a yellow dome, called the receptacle—this is the part that eventually becomes the strawberry you harvest and eat (Fig. 2.).

That dome is covered in tiny pistils, the female parts of the flower. Each pistil has:

• A stigma (the sticky tip),
• A style (the slender stalk),
• And an ovary at the base (Figs. 3 and 4).

♂️ + ♀️ = 🍓

Surrounding the pistils are the male parts: the anthers (which hold the pollen) and their stalks, called filaments (Fig. 4).

Strawberries grown commercially have perfect flowers, which means they have both male and female parts, so they are self-fertile. The pollen only needs to move a short distance—from the anther to the stigma—for pollination to occur.

In open fields, this movement usually happens with just a bit of wind. That’s why growers don’t need bees for pollination outdoors. But in greenhouses, where air movement is limited, growers often use bees or fans to help move the pollen.

What can go wrong?

If all the pistils are pollinated and conditions are right for proper growth and development over the next 5 weeks, you’ll get a well-shaped fruit with lots of seeds that are evenly spaced. But if pollination is incomplete or interrupted, you’ll see misshapen fruit and seeds of different sizes that are not evenly spaced.

Here are some common causes:

• Extreme temperatures (below freezing or over 90°F)
• Strong winds (can dry out or damage flowers)
• Lygus bug feeding (damages developing fruit by feeding on achenes)
• Spray damage/burn (phytotoxicity)

When it all works

Even with all the things that can go wrong, more often than not growers manage to do everything just right—producing beautiful, ripe, and flavorful fruit. Understanding the flower is the first step to helping your crop reach that perfect outcome.