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Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo: Plant
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Arbutus unedo: Fruit
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Arbutus unedo: Fruit
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Arbutus unedo: Fruit
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Arbutus unedo: Plant
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Common name:	Strawberry Tree	Family:	Ericaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	11, 17, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe and S.W. Ireland.
Habitat:	Woodland, scrub and rocky hillsides, often on limestone and sandstone[17, 45].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Djina [E], Killarney Strawberry Tree [H], Koca Yemis [E], Madrono [E], Strawberry Tree [H,P], Strawberry-tree [L],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	unedo = L. name
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ericales. Heath family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Sicily Spain Turkey

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 9m by 8m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from October to December, and the seeds ripen from October to December. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Cultivar 'Croomei': Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.
Cultivar 'Elfin King': Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.
Cultivar 'Rubra': Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet but insipid[2, 3, 5]. The Latin name 'unedo' means 'I eat one (only)' and suggests that the fruit is not very palatable[K], though another report says that the fruit is so delicious that a person only needs to eat one[245]. It does have a somewhat gritty skin, but the fruit itself has the texture of a lush tropical fruit and has a delicate pleasant flavour. For those people with sensitive taste buds, this is a fruit that can be enjoyed when eaten in moderate quantities[K]. The fruit contains about 20% sugars and can be used to make delicious and nourishing jams and preserves[7]. It is ripe in November/December and is about 15mm in diameter. When fully ripe it falls from the tree and so it is advisable to grow the plant in short grass in order to cushion the fall of the fruit[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antiseptic Astringent Diuretic.

The strawberry tree is little used in herbalism, though it does deserve modern investigation[268]. All parts of the plant contain ethyl gallate, a substance that possesses strong antibiotic activity against the Mycobacterium bacteria[268].
The leaves, bark and root are astringent and diuretic[7, 46, 268]. They are also a renal antiseptic[7] and so are of use in the treatment of affections of the urinary system such as cystitis and urethritis[254]. Their astringent action makes them of use in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery and, like many other astringent plants, a gargle can be made for treating sore and irritated throats[254]. The leaves are gathered in the summer and dried for later use[7].
The flowers are weakly diaphoretic[268].

Other Uses

Tannin Wood.

Tannin is obtained from the leaves, bark and fruit[46, 61]. The bark contains 45% tannin[46].
Wood - used for turning, Greek flutes etc[89, 148]. It makes a good charcoal[4, 89, 148].

Cultivation details

Requires a nutrient-rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade and shelter from cold drying winds, especially when young[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils and in dry soils. Most species in this genus require a lime-free soil but this species is fairly lime tolerant[11, 200]. Succeeds in fairly exposed maritime positions[166, 200]. A tree in a very exposed position at Rosewarne in N. &ndndndnd was looking rather tattered in April 1987 but it was 4.5 metres tall and carrying a very good crop of immature fruit[K]. Tolerates industrial pollution[200].
Plants have withstood temperatures down to -16° c without injury at Kew[11]. They grow very well in S.W. England, fruiting well in &ndndndnd[49, 59].
Plants resent root disturbance and are best placed in their final positions whilst young[11, 134]. Give them some protection in their first winter.
The strawberry tree flowers in November and December, the fruit takes 12 months to ripen and so the tree carries both mature fruit and flowers at the same time and is incredibly beautiful at this time[K]. The flowers have a soft honey scent[245].
There are a number of named varieties[183] developed for their ornamental value. 'Elfin King', 'Croomei' and 'Rubra' are all small forms that fruit well when small[182]. The variety 'Rubra' was 1.2 metres tall at Kew in late 1990 and was laden down with fruits and flowers[K]. 'Elfin King' only reaches a height of 1 metre, comes into bearing when young and fruits well[183]. It is ideal for container culture[183]. 'Croomei' is said to be a more reliable fruiting form[49].

Propagation

Seed - best surface sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be soaked for 5 - 6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a shady position in a greenhouse[78]. Do not allow the compost to become dry. 6 weeks cold stratification helps[134]. The seed usually germinates well in 2 - 3 months at 20° c[134]. Seedlings are prone to damp off[184], they are best transplanted to individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should be kept well ventilated. Grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts[K].
Basal cuttings in late winter[200].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November/December in a frame. Poor percentage[78].
Layering of young wood - can take 2 years[1, 200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a soft honey scent.

Cultivars

'Rubra': Smaller than the species type, this form grows to about 2 - 3 metres in height, fruiting abundantly even when only 60cm tall[K].
'Elfin King': The fruits are up to 25mm in diameter and have a sweet flavour[183, K]. A slow-growing compact plant, often no more than 1 metre tall[183]. It comes into bearing early, sets fruit freely and is ideal for container growing[183].
'Croomei': A dwarf-growing cultivar, it is said to be a reliable fruiting form[49].
'Compacta': A dwarf cultivar, it is said not to flower very freely[11].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Ericaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data for parts of family Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[45] Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980 ISBN 0-19-217626-9
A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[59] Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in &ndndndnd.
Trees and shrubs that succeed in &ndndndnd based on the authors own observations. Good but rather dated.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[134] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[268] Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979 ISBN 0-85613-067-2
Excellent herbal with good concise information on over 400 herbs.

Readers Comments

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

mark (kid@jinw.freeserve.co.uk) Thu Apr 12 19:46:40 2001

Where is the largest known specimin growing in the U.K. if so where and how big

Many thanks Mark .

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Ian Bruce (idbruce@shaw.ca) Tue May 28 21:33:40 2002

Does this plant have any invasive species characteristics for growing in the Northwest??

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Shari (shari516@oakmeade.com) Mon Jun 3 22:31:35 2002

Hi. :) I wanted to comment on something in the essay at the top of this page. It mentions that the strawberry tree's fruit is edible and although usually bland, some people like to eat it, and it also makes good perserves and jams. Yes, the fruit IS edible. In fact, I've tried the fruits myself, and I've found that some trees/bushes seem to have more flavourful fruit than others. However, I have read on several websites related to plants and trees that this fruit should NOT be eaten in large or even medium quantities, because it can cause stomach/intestinal upset, vomiting and even seizures in some people. I don't know how often this is the case, but it doesn't exactly sound like something I'd want to spread on my bread! :( Anyone else have further information about whether the fruits are indeed mildly toxic?

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Keith Juden (keith@madridandbeyond.com) Wed Sep 11 11:55:41 2002

Known in Spain as "modro�o". The emblem of Madrid is this tree, with a bear stretching to eat the fruit, so it's at least edible by some species!

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

() Sat Oct 5 04:20:06 2002

Thanks for the post. My golden retriever ate a bunch of the fruit and leaves and vomited a couple of times and is feeling quite poorly now. I thik she will be ok. I was a bit concerned for a while.

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Sean () Mon Oct 7 16:03:20 2002

I've just returned from Corsica where I have eaten some extremely nice Arbous jam made from this plant and also bought a bottle of Arbous liqueur which was one of the nicest I have ever tasted.

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Ana Margarida Martins () Tue Dec 10 16:46:54 2002

Hello!!! About the toxicity of this fruit: in Portugal we do make jam and liqueur (aguardente de Medronho) with it. I have personally eaten many of these fruits and I can tell you they're very sweet and tasty. But in Portugal the cultural say about Arbous is that you shouldn't eat too many, or you risk beeing drunk. That's probably because the fruit ripens very quickly and ferments. That's why you feel sick and dizzy... because you're slightly drunk... But nothing serious... Enjoy the fruits everybody!!!

Cross references: Plants: Common name in Portuguese: Medronheiro. Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo

John McMillan (j..e.mcmillan@sheffield.ac.uk) Thu Jan 2 17:22:15 2003

On a recent trip to Paris, I found this fruit served stewed (or canned?) as a sweet in a chinese restaurant. They were fine. Also about 20mm across, whereas the only tree I've seen here in the north of england produced fruit more like 8mm across. Could be a different cultivar or more likely the different climate. And that's bound to affect the palatability of the fruit too.

Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree

Clem Snide (root@127.0.0.1) Tue Feb 11 10:16:38 2003

I can't understand the frequent references in books to the unpalatibility of this fruit. One reference said it was inedible in Ireland. You never see it mentoned in books on edible fruit. I find it quite delicious, with a tropical flavour, like a cross between guava and nectarine. Mind you, I usually eat it from the inside out, purely in order to avoid any dirt on the outside. The only problem with the skin is its mealy texture rather than its taste, though this isn't really unpleasant anyway. I can only think that in cold climates it doesn't get enough sun to make good fruit (I am in Australia), or perhaps it's the soil. Or maybe some people pick it when unripe. Given its hardiness, it could be that people don't treat it as carefully as it deserves. According to Frances Bodkin, it is narcotic in large quantities, but I have had no problems eating a few at a time.

Details of Growing Condition: Sydney, Australia, open sunny place..

Cross references: Web-pages: PFAF - Arbutus unedo, The Strawberry Tree.

Arbutus unedo

Dr. Shannon (drt@drtshannon.com) Thu Mar 13 07:11:04 2003

Does anyone know of using this plant for arthritis or rheumatism?

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