Part of the fun of our tours is learning new plants or rediscovering old ones. Near the parking area at TBG where we gathered for our tour and ended it, there were two adjacent trees, each surrounded by a very low, dense carpet of small dark green groundcover plants in beds at least 6 feet across. Of course we wondered what they were and looked for clues. (here are links to images if Gail doesn’t send her photos) https://www.plantarium.ru/dat/plants/2/271/591271_0829db43.jpg https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.m_QuSrcpYLHpY7CkyCXRIwHaE8?pid=ImgDet&rs=1
I got the genus name correct on one of them but the common name wrong, calling it creeping buttercup due to the single yellow flower seen at the time. The accepted common name is barren strawberry. Here’s a good description of the native plant.
Waldsteinia fragarioides – Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)
On the other, which also resembled wild strawberry plants I got the common name correct, “Indian strawberry” but couldn’t recall a genus name nor whether the little red fruits presented above the leaves were edible. It is Duchesnia indica, which also has yellow flowers. Its leaves and fruit are edible but tasteless, and in some areas it is considered an invasive weed in lawns and natural areas; https://extension.umn.edu/identify-invasive-species/mock-strawberry
Jennie S .
Monroe County Master Gardener Association 
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