Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo

Common name: strawberry tree

Family: Ericaceae

Leaf: dark green, glossy, 2-4" long, serrated margin, lanceolate

Flowers: white, urn-shaped, 4-6mm in diameter, on panicles of 10-30 in autumn. 

Fruit: red berry, 1-2 cm diameter, rough surface, matures in 12 months- at the same time as the next flowering. Edible. Showy

Habit: evergreen multi-stemmed shrub; Form: mounded-rounded

Height: 8-15': Spread: 8-15'

Culture: Plant in full sun to part shade.  Tolerates a wide range of soils, provided they are well drained. Fairly lime-tolerant compared to other Arbutus sp. Does well with protection from drying winds. Does not do well with transplanting, and therefore are best planted in their permanent positions immediately. Hardy in USDA zones 7-11.

Origin: Southern Europe, SW Ireland

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