A strawberry is a small, bright red fruit covered with tiny seeds on the outside and topped with a crown of green leaves. Bite into one and you'll taste something sweet with just a hint of tartness, completely different from any other fruit.

Strawberries grow close to the ground on low plants that spread through runners, like nature's own copying system. Each plant sends out stems that root themselves and grow into new plants. The fruit develops from the plant's white flowers in late spring and early summer. Unlike most fruits, where the seeds grow inside, a strawberry wears its seeds on the outside: each one of those tiny yellow specks is actually a seed.

People have cultivated strawberries for centuries, though wild strawberries are much smaller than the plump ones you see at the grocery store. Today's large, juicy strawberries come from careful breeding and farming.

Fresh strawberries don't last long once picked, which makes the first strawberries of summer feel special. You'll find them in shortcake, jam, smoothies, and ice cream, though many people think they taste best when eaten fresh and plain.