Publication
from Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0
by C. Orwa, A. Mutua, R. Kindt, R. Jamnadass and S. Anthony
Arbutus
unedo L.
Local Names:
English (strawberry tree, cane apples, arbutus), Greek (koumaria)
Family:
Ericaceae
Botanic
Description
Arbutus
unedo is an evergreen broadleaved shrub or small tree with
a spreading habit, up to 12 m high, often much lower; rarely exceeding
2.5- 3.7 m in the southeastern USA.
Leaves simple, alternate, serrate, obovate, oblanceolate, pinnate,
evergreen, 5 - 10 cm long, borne on 5mm long hairy pinkish stalks. The
leathery leaves are glossy on top with red vein when young.
Flowers hermaphrodite, bell-shaped small white or pinkish
blueberry-like assembled in drooping panicles about 5 cm long and 8 mm
in diameter with a soft honey scent.
Fruit globose berries, covered in conical swellings, ripening through
yellow to scarlet and deep crimson with mealy, edible pulp and about 2
cm in diameter; looks somewhat like strawberries though the resemblance
does not apply to taste.
Bark gray-brown; fissured, flaking and peeling in thin plates to reveal
the reddish young bark beneath.
Strawberry tree has a long taproot and therefore should not be
transplanted once established, but thanks to that taproot it eventually
becomes extremely drought hardy.
The Latin name 'unedo' means 'I eat one (only)' and suggests that the
fruit is not very palatable, though it also suggests the fruit is so
delicious that a person only needs to eat one.
Biology
Strawberry flowers are hermaphrodite, self-fertile and pollinated by
bees. It begins blooming in autumn and continues into the winter. The
fruit takes 9-12 months to ripen hence both mature fruit and flowers
are existent at the same time with an incredible beauty.
Ecology
Arbutus unedo
does best in mild, wet winter climates, with dry, warm-hot summers and
is found growing in woodland margins, scrub and rocky slopes, generally
on well-drained acid soils, often on limestone and sandstone. It
prefers full sun to partial shade and thrives along with laurel, cork
oak, juniper and other plants of the maquis.
Biophysical
Limits
Altitude: 0-4000 m.
Temperature: average 13-19ºC and can tolerate temperatures
down to -16ºC.
Soil types: clay; sand; loam; acidic; alkaline; well-drained dry or
moist soil. Trees are salt tolerant.
Documented
Species Distribution
Native:
Greece, Ireland, Lebanon, Portugal, Turkey
Exotic: Australia, US
The
map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does
neither suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological
zone within that country, nor that the species can not be planted in
other countries than those depicted. Since some tree species are
invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to your
planting site.
Products
Food:
Fruits can be eaten fresh or cooked but has little flavor. The fruit
contains about 20% sugars and is used to make delicious and nourishing
jams and preserves. The fruits can be fermented to make aromatic
alcoholic beverages. In Portugal, strawberry tree fruits are fermented
to make a strong tasting wine known as medronho or medronheira,
tsipuoro in Greece, Fior de Corbezzolo in Sicily, Creme d'Arbouse in
Corsica among others.
Timber:
The wood is used in Greece to make flutes.
Fuel:
The wood makes good charcoal.
Tannin or
dyestuff: The bark which contains 45% tannin has been used
in tanning leather. Tannin can also be obtained from the leaves and
fruit.
Medicine: The tree is little used in herbalism but
deserves modern investigation. All parts of the plant contain ethyl
gallate, a substance that possesses strong antibiotic activity against
the Mycobacterium bacteria. The leaves, bark and root are astringent
and diuretic. They are also a renal antiseptic and so used in the
treatment of infections of the urinary system such as cystitis and
urethritis. It is used in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery and,
a gargle can be made for treating sore and irritated throats. The
flowers are weakly diaphoretic.
Services
Ornamental:
The tree is commonly planted as ornamental for its pretty flowers and
fruit especially in autumn when most shrubs are going dormant. Older
specimens are especially attractive with their shredding gray-brown
bark and twisted, gnarled trunks. It is a very popular ornamental in
southern California.
Shade or
shelter: Strawberry tree is good choice for a shrub
border. It spreads quite wide as it grows taller and produces dense
shade, making it ideal for use as a small shade, screen, hedge, or
patio tree.
Strawberry tree is a good choice for coastal areas since it is salt
tolerant.
Tree
Management
Minimal pruning can be done to enhance shape e.g. to train as a
single-trunked tree or to open up tree crown. New shoots can be pruned
back to 2-3 leaves during growth. Strawberry tree is drought tolerant,
but may need watering only during the autumn and winter. It may need
protection from winter winds especially in their first winter.
When fully ripe fruits fall from the tree, it is advisable to grow the
plant in short grass to cushion the fall of the fruit.
Germplasm
Management
Seeds can be stored under cold stratification for up to 6 weeks. The
fleshy coating on seeds should be removed before storage. Stored seed
should be soaked for 5-6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a
shady position in a greenhouse without allowing the compost to become
dry. The seed usually germinates in 2-3 months at 20°C.
Seedlings are prone to damping off, they are best transplanted to
individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should
be kept well ventilated. Seedlings should be grown in a greenhouse for
their first winter planted out in late spring after the last expected
frosts. Root disturbance should be avoided and seedlings are best
placed in their final positions whilst young.
Pests and
Diseases
No pests or diseases are of major concern.
Further
Reading
Bean W. 1981. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and
Supplement. Murray.
Chevallier. A. 1996. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling
Kindersley. London.
Chiej R. 1984. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald &
Co. Ltd., Maxwell House, London.
Chittendon F.1951. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Oxford University Press.
Clapham, Tootin & Warburg. 1962. Flora of the British Isles.
Cambridge University Press.
Facciola S. 1990. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong
Publications. Vista, CA.
Genders R. 1994. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London.
Grieve 1984. A Modern Herbal. Penguin.
Hedrick UP. 1972. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover
Publications Inc. New York.
Huxley A. 1992. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan
Press. London.
Mabey R. 1974. Food for Free. W Collins Sons & Co Ltd, Glasgow.
Niebuhr AD. 1970. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America.
Phillips R & Rix. M. 1989. Shrubs. Pan Books, London.
Polunin O & Huxley A. 1987. Flowers of the Mediterranean.
Hogarth Press.
Polunin O. 1980. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University
Press.
Rice G. (Ed.) 1988. Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan.
Sheat WG. 1948. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan
and Co. USDA Forest Service 2001.
Simmons AE. 1972. Growing Unusual Fruit. Walker and Company, New York.
Stuart. M. (Ed.) 1979. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis
Publishing. London.
Taylor J. 1990. The Milder Garden. JM Dent & Sons Ltd, London.
Thomas GS. 1992. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray,
Australia.
Uphof JC. Th. 1959. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, Germany.
Hafner Publishing Co., New York.
Usher G. 1974. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, London.
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