Strawberry-like fruits grow on trees, surrounded by white bell flowers and evergreen leaves. The strawberry tree gives hobby gardeners north of the Alps a Mediterranean holiday feeling in the middle of the cold season. It's high time for a checkup to see whether the picturesque tree fits into your creative garden concept. Here you can find out whether the strawberry tree is a hit for your garden design with tips on planting and care.
What is a strawberry tree and how do you care for it?
The strawberry tree (Arbutus) is an evergreen shrub from the heather family (Ericaceae) with edible fruits and limited winter hardiness down to -10° Celsius. It thrives best in sunny, partially shaded locations with slightly acidic, well-drained soil without waterlogging. During the planting period, care should be taken to ensure adequate irrigation and fertilization.
Profile
- Scientific name: Arbutus
- Family: Heather family
- Occurrence: Mediterranean region, Central America
- Growth type: shrub or tree
- Growth: evergreen, bushy, multi-stemmed
- Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy
- Fruit: red, warty, multi-seeded berry
- Taste: sour-sweet, floury
- Harvest time: December to February
- Flowering time: October to December
- Flower shape: paniculate bell flowers
- Use: ornamental tree, fruit preparation
Winter hardiness
A limited winter hardiness down to -10° Celsius brings the planting of a strawberry tree within reach. However, the exotic heather plant has to develop this frost tolerance. In the first few years, the picturesque ornamental tree shivered at temperatures around freezing point. Cultivation as a container plant with frost-free overwintering is mandatory in this phase. From the fifth year onwards, an Arbutus north of the Alps is well hardy (short-term down to -15° Celsius), so you can consider planting it in regions with mild winters.
Fruit
The red, strawberry-like fruit gives its name to all known strawberry tree species. Appropriate synonyms are doing the rounds, such as sea cherry, sandberry or country berry. In fact, tree strawberries are much more than a decorative accessory for flowers and evergreen leaves. These properties characterize the fruit:
- Fruit type: Berry with numerous seeds
- Shape: spherical with warty skin
- Color: red outside, yellow-orange inside (unripe fruit: green)
- Size: 2 to 3 cm diameter
- Consumption quality: edible, fruity-sour taste, floury consistency
It is worth highlighting a spectacle that is worth seeing and celebrates numerous trees from the Mediterranean region. Due to very slow ripening, fruits and flowers adorn the strawberry tree at the same time. You can admire the atmospheric play of colors made up of white flower spikes, red berries and lush green leaves in the following video.
Video: Strawberry tree in all its splendor
Growth
So that a strawberry tree fits harmoniously into the design of the bed, balcony, terrace and winter garden, important growth data comes into focus:
- Growth height: 2 to 5 m (rarely higher in a pot)
- Growth width: 1 to 2 m
- Growth habit: upright, densely bushy, multi-stemmed
- Leaves: smooth-glossy, evergreen, narrow-oval (comparable to bay leaves)
With a growth rate of 5 to 15 centimeters per year, the strawberry tree takes things slowly. This leisurely growth is not unusual for heather plants, such as common heather (Calluna vulgaris), grape heather (Leucothoe) or laurel roses (Kalmia).
Usage
A look at the profile lets ideas flow for a variety of uses for a sea cherry. The following table provides an insight:
| Ornamental trees | Fruit preparation |
|---|---|
| potted plant | Jam |
| Winter Garden | Fruit jelly |
| potted garden | Syrup |
| Interior greening | Liqueur |
| Planted out | Schnaps |
Planting a strawberry tree – instructions for pots and beds
A strawberry tree impresses with its flexible location requirements. As a pot plant or planted in a bed, the attractive shrub thrives equally well in the sun and partial shade. Only in shady locations is there a sparse display of flowers and fruit. A wind-protected location prevents windthrow. Given the limited frost tolerance, the time window for planting opens at the end of April/beginning of May. The following instructions explain step by step how to properly plant an Arbutus:
Planting a strawberry tree in a pot
As a substrate for Arbutus potted plants, we recommend slightly acidic rhododendron soil, enriched to a third with organically fertilized coconut soil and a few handfuls of lava granules. This composition takes into account the pronounced aversion of a sea cherry to lime, alkaline pH values and waterlogging. The following planting technique has proven itself well in practice:
- Soak the root ball and container in a bucket with rainwater until no more air bubbles appear
- Spread a 10 cm high drainage made of lava granules, expanded clay or pottery shards on the bottom of the bucket
- Cover drainage with a water and air permeable fleece
- Fill in the substrate up to half the height of the pot
- Insert the water-soaked, now potted root ball in the middle
- Refill substrate in portions while maintaining the previous planting depth
- Press the earth firmly
- Water until water runs out from under the bucket
Extra tip for potted plants on the balcony, terrace or in the winter garden: If you think about a 5 to 6 cm high watering edge when planting, nothing will spill over later.
Planting in the bed from the 5th year
At the end of the fifth year, a planted strawberry tree is prepared for a Central European winter. Choose a location with nutrient-rich, well-drained, sandy-loose soil and a pH value of 6. If in doubt, you can improve the garden soil using simple means. Acidic oak leaf compost increases the nutrient content and lowers the pH value. The addition of sand, lava granules or expanded clay optimizes permeability. If the pH value is too low below 5, you can bring it to a level suitable for strawberry trees using garden lime. This is how planting in the garden succeeds with flying colors:
- Weed the site, rake, ideally dig two spades deep
- Dig a planting hole that is 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the root ball
- Mix the excavated material with leaf compost, ericaceous soil or rhododendron substrate (3:1)
- Line the pit bottom 5 cm high with chippings to protect against waterlogging
- Unpotting the strawberry tree from the previous bucket
- Planting in the bed, tamping down the soil and covering it with rainwater
Excursus
Family-friendly house tree with WOW effect
Hobby gardeners with families don't have it easy when looking for a representative house tree for the Mediterranean front garden. Many premium flowering trees from the Mediterranean region hide a poisonous secret that is hard on children and pets. The gentle, non-toxic strawberry tree comes in handy as a floral reception committee with a glamorous performance.
Caring for strawberry trees – tips & tricks
The top topic in the care program is overwintering the strawberry tree in a pot or planted out in the garden. The expensive purchase of an Arbutus from the nursery awakens the desire of the thrifty hobby gardener to propagate it himself. All other care measures follow this and are easy to use. The following sections provide a compact insight into care with practical tips and tricks:
Overwintering strawberry tree
Most evergreen potted plants from southern climes want to overwinter in a bright and cool place. A light supply of at least 1000 lux can prevent a strawberry tree from dropping its leaves, flowers and fruits in the middle of the winter flowering period. Light winter protection is used outside in the garden, primarily to ward off moisture and cold wind. How to overwinter a strawberry tree indoors and outdoors:
- Put the pot in a bright location with temperatures around 5° Celsius from November to April
- Suitable winter quarters: temperate winter garden, glazed terrace, garage with windows and frost monitor
- Care in the winter quarters: water sparingly, spray occasionally and do not fertilize
- Cover the strawberry tree in the bed with translucent fleece, mulch the tree disc with leaves and needle twigs
- Winter care outside: water when there is frost on mild days, do not fertilize
Propagate strawberry tree
You can propagate a strawberry tree with cuttings easily and with guaranteed success. In September, cut off semi-woody, non-flowering shoot tips with four to six pairs of leaves. Every cutting is defoliated except for the upper pair of leaves. Fill a cultivation pot with coconut soil or a mixture of rhododendron substrate and sand for each cutting. Insert the cutting three quarters of its height into it, water it and put a perforated plastic bag over it. In the bright, warm window seat, the cutting transforms into a vital young plant.
Sowing the seeds, however, is a challenge. Due to the inhibition of germination, you first subject the seeds to stratification. To do this, store the seeds in a bag of sand in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for 8 weeks. After germination begins, sow the seeds in the potting soil of a seed tray with a transparent lid. Constant humidity and gradually increasing temperatures stimulate growth. The first leaves will sprout within three months and you can prick out the future strawberry trees.
Watering and fertilizing
Watering the strawberry tree correctly requires a bit of sensitivity. The soil should be slightly moist. Of course, waterlogging must not form, which would reliably destroy the exotic shrub. A finger test reveals whether there is a need for watering. Press your thumb 2 centimeters deep into the soil. If you do not feel any moisture in this area, water with soft rainwater or stale tap water. If in doubt, postpone watering. Your strawberry tree can cope with short-term dryness better than wet feet.
The nutrient supply is less complicated. Fertilize your strawberry tree every 2 weeks from April to August with a liquid, organic pot plant fertilizer (€4.00 on Amazon). Planted Arbutus bushes benefit from compost in April and June at a dosage of 3 liters per square meter, lightly incorporated and rained on. Alternatively, administer an organic complete fertilizer in April and June, such as the Azet rose fertilizer from Neudorff.
Cutting
The best time for a shape and maintenance cut is in February. One case for pruning shears are overly long branches that protrude out of shape. In the first few years, encourage bushy branching by deadheading shoots. To do this, place the scissors just under a bud, a leaf or a sleeping eye. As a strawberry tree ages, it becomes sensitive to cutting. Please avoid cutting into the old wood because the shoots will take forever to appear or will fail altogether.
Popular varieties
The hobby gardener's favorite variety Western strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) has faced competition in the form of decorative varieties from the eastern Mediterranean and distant America:
- Arbutus unedo: Western strawberry tree, white flower panicles, 3 m high, flowering period from October to December.
- Arbutus unedo 'Rubra': Red-flowering strawberry tree, 3 m high, 2 m wide, flowering period from October to February.
- Arbutus unedo 'Compacta': Dwarf strawberry tree, 2 m high, flowers from October to December.
- Arbutus andrachne: Greek/Eastern strawberry tree, white flowers from March to May, 3-5 m tall.
- Arbutus menziesii: American strawberry tree, creamy white scented flowers in May, 5-7 m high.
- Arbutus canariensis: Majestic strawberry tree from the Canary Islands.
FAQ
Where can you buy strawberry tree schnapps?
In Portugal, the schnapps Aguardente de Medronho is made from the fruits of the strawberry tree. Here Arbutus unedo thrives wild in the barren, southern regions. The fruits are collected painstakingly by hand from December to January. Private distilleries then process the harvest into traditional fruit schnapps. For this reason, strawberry tree schnapps can only be purchased locally in restaurants, Artesanato shops or directly from the manufacturer.
Do you have a recipe idea for strawberry tree jam?
With their fruity and sour taste, tree strawberries are ideal for refreshing jam. The ingredients you need are 1 kg of fruit, 1 kg of preserving sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1-2 sachets of vanilla sugar, 1 pinch of cinnamon and jars of jam. Wash, clean, puree and strain the tree strawberries (removes annoying seeds and warty skin). Mix in a large pot with preserving sugar, lemon juice, vanilla sugar and cinnamon, cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, and pour into the jam jars. Close tightly and let cool upside down.
Can a strawberry tree overwinter in a pot outside on the Lower Rhine?
The Lower Rhine is one of the milder winter regions that allows potted plants to overwinter in the open air. This also applies to a strawberry tree from the fourth or fifth year onwards. After the first frost, place the bucket in a partially shaded, wind-protected location. Cover the pot thickly with winter fleece or bubble wrap. A wooden block protects against frost from below. Mulch the substrate with leaves, bark mulch or straw. A translucent, breathable fleece hood is advantageous.
The bark is peeling off on my strawberry tree. What to do?
Peeling bark on strawberry trees is no cause for concern. At an advanced age, all Arbutus species show this phenomenon. It is a natural process and not a disease. No countermeasures are required.
Can you plant the strawberry tree as a privacy screen?
With the right conditions, you can use one or more strawberry trees as a privacy screen. A warm location protected from the wind, without waterlogging and permanent frost below -10° Celsius promotes opaque growth. If the weather report reports bitter frost of -15° Celsius or colder, cover the strawberry tree with a winter protection fleece. If the shrub still freezes back, cutting it back into he althy wood will solve the problem.
