San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Arbutus unedo is a small, evergreen tree, with dangling panicles of rosy urn-shaped blossoms, often appearing simultaneously with long stemmed fruits resembling strawberries. The appearance of both flowers and fruits on the same tree make for a handsome sight in the Garden of Fragrance. The fruits have no flavor yet they are edible. They are sometimes used in preserves, explaining the name unedo, which is a compilation of the Latin word unum, meaning, “I eat one”.

The flowers are similar to some of the other members in the Heath family such as Vaccinium (huckleberry) and Arctostaphylus (manzanita). The bark of Arbutus unedo, much like the madrone tree, Arbutus menzii, becomes reddish brown and peels with age. The leaves are leathery and serrated, with red stems. A. unedo is tolerant of many soil types as long as there is good drainage and is a fairly drought resistant tree. It is a lovely offering for California gardens.

The Irish call it the Killarney strawberry tree and it grows along the coast, however, it is also native to Israel. This surprising geographical separation is the result of the Gulf Stream, whose warm waters affect coastal Ireland, Scotland and Britain, creating milder winters (which Arbutus need) and explain the presence of palm trees in the Scilly Isles.

IN BLOOM CONTRIBUTORS:

Docents Joanne Taylor and Kathy McNeil

Profile Contributor: David Kruse-Pickler, Associate Curator

Additional photos provided by SFBG visitor Eric Hunt: © Eric Hunt, www.plantworld.org