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Arbutus unedo

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© RHS

Characteristics

Plant type

Tree

Habit

Bushy

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

White in Autumn

Foliage

Dark Green in Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter

Fruit

Red in Autumn

Size

Ultimate height

4-8 metres

Ultimate spread

4-8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20-50 years


Preferred common name

strawberry tree

Family

Ericaceae


Arbutus are evergreen trees and shrubs with small, bell-shaped creamy-white or pink flowers, and red, strawberry-like fruits in autumn

A. unedo is a large evergreen shrub of bushy habit, with rough brown bark and dark green leathery leaves. Flowers urn-shaped, white, appearing as the strawberry-like red fruits, from the previous years flowers, ripen

Other common names

  • cane apple
  • Dalmatian strawberry
  • Killarney strawberry tree

How to grow

Sunlight

  • Full sun

Aspect

  • North-facing, East-facing, South-facing or West-facing
  • Sheltered

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil. Young plants are more frost-tender than mature plants

Soil

  • Well-drained or Moist but well-drained
  • Acid or Neutral
  • Loam, Clay or Sand

Propagation

Propagate by seed and semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal, Low Maintenance or Patio/Container Plants


How to care

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Can get aphids

Diseases

Arbutus leaf spot may be a problem