strawberry tree

strawberry tree, (Arbutus unedo), evergreen shrub or small tree cultivated as an ornamental and for its edible berries. Although they have a fairly mealy texture when eaten raw, the tart strawberry-like fruits are used locally to make jams, sorbets, and alcoholic drinks. The leaves and fruits are also used in traditional medicine. The plant is native to temperate coastal regions of the Mediterranean and was introduced to the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Canary Islands. The strawberry tree is considered a symbolic plant of Italy, where it is known as corbezzolo, and its bright green leaves, white flowers, and red fruits recall the colors of the Italian flag. Sardinian corbezzolo honey, made by honeybees visiting the flowers, is renowned for its surprisingly bitter flavor.

Physical description

The strawberry tree typically has multiple trunks, though ornamental specimens are often pruned to a single trunk. It is usually wider than tall, with a broad, shady crown, and can reach 7 meters (23 feet) or more in height. The shaggy bark is dark red-brown or gray and sheds to reveal cream to red-brown wood. The simple, oblong, glossy leaves have serrate to nearly smooth margins and are borne on red petioles (leaf stalks).

Like many other flowers in the family Ericaceae, the flowers of the strawberry tree are urn shaped and somewhat pendulous. They are usually white, although some are light pink, and grow in drooping clusters of 10–30 blooms. The tree flowers in autumn and winter, blooming while the previous year’s fruits are ripening from green to orange-yellow to bright red. The round fruit has a pebbly exterior, reaching up to about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter, and is a true berry, with several small seeds embedded in its grainy, golden flesh. The strawberry tree’s flowers provide nectar for pollinators, and the fruit provides food for birds and small mammals, especially in winter.

Cultivation

The slow-growing strawberry tree is easily cultivated in well-drained soil and can be propagated by seed or from cuttings. It does not grow well in humid climates or areas with extremely low temperatures. The tree can grow in full sun or partial shade. Once established the plant is resistant to drought, wind, fire, marine salt spray, and air pollution. The strawberry tree is considered hardy but can be vulnerable to such pests as scale and thrips and a number of plant diseases, including root rot, rust, anthracnose, and water mold.

Conservation

The strawberry tree is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species of least concern because of its stable population, widespread distribution, and general lack of threats. Local populations, however, are in decline in some places, and the tree is listed as critically endangered in Cyprus and Bulgaria, where populations have undergone severe declines.

The plant is considered an invasive species in some parts of Australia.