In heraldry, fraises are stylized strawberry emblems, most famously associated with the arms of Fraser. They are often drawn as a five-petalled strawberry blossom that looks, to many eyes, like a cinquefoil, and that overlap is not accidental. Fox-Davies notes that the “five-foiled flower” appears in many coats under different names, and that in the arms of Fraser the charges are specifically termed “fraises” (A Complete Guide to Heraldry, Chapter 18). A concise lexical definition also describes a fraise in heraldry as “a stylized strawberry with leaves” (Wiktionary: fraise).

As symbolism, fraises blend two ideas that heraldry frequently rewards: meaning through nature and meaning through wordplay. Strawberries can suggest plenty, the fruits of good husbandry, and a settled relationship with the land, but the strongest reading is usually canting. The Fraser name is widely linked to the French word “fraises,” and the charge becomes a visual signature, a memorable badge of identity rather than a generic floral decoration (U.S. Heraldic Registry: Simon Fraser University).

For concrete examples, the Fraser arms are commonly given as “Azure, three fraises Argent,” a pattern echoed in institutional heraldry derived from the clan, including Simon Fraser University, whose registered blazon places the three fraises in the first and fourth quarters (U.S. Heraldic Registry). To browse images of coats of arms that use strawberries, strawberry leaves, and related treatments, start with Wikimedia Commons: Category:Strawberries in heraldry.