Strawberry plants are small, herbaceous plants that grow to be 8–10 in (20–25 cm) tall.Strawberry leaves are compound, with three leaflets, and are usually hairy and sawtooth-edged. Some strawberry leaves are evergreen, while others fall off in the winter.Strawberry flowers are usually white, but can sometimes be reddish. They grow in small clusters on slender stalks that emerge from the axils of the leaves.The strawberry fruit is actually an enlarged part of the plant's stamen, and is not technically a berry. The small black spots on the outside of the strawberry are the actual fruit.Strawberry plants have an economic life of 2–4 years.

Strawberry plants are part of the Rose family (Rosaceae) and the genus Fragaria. The wild strawberry is Fragaria vesca, while Fragaria ananassa is a cultivated strawberry.