Product Review

5 Strawberry Tree Seeds
Arbutus
Madrone, Pacific Madrone, Madrona, Laurelwood, Pacific Madrona, Oregon Laurel
Description: The strawberry tree is a beautiful small evergreen tree or shrub usually growing 20 to 35 feet tall, and can be container grown in large tubs. Considered cold hardy down to 10 degrees, it is a very easy plant to grow. This is a superb plant to grow as a specimen in a lawn, and it also grows very well on the sunny edges of a woodland garden.
USDA Zone: 5b to 10b.
Fruit: Ripening over a period of several weeks in late autumn and early winter, the fruit will fall from the tree when it is fully ripe.
Flower: The strawberry tree produces masses of beautiful white flowers in November and December. The tree carries both mature fruit and flowers at the same time and is then incredibly beautiful.
Discussion: A wonderful quality of the Arbutus tree is the vast array of shapes and contours they can take. They can grow tall and straight in open groves with good soil and lots of sunlight but everywhere else it takes on dramatic postures that vary from tree to tree especially on bluffs and exposed areas. The fruit varies considerably in size, though it averages about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. It is a lovely red color and, from a distance, does look a little like strawberries, hence the common name of the plant. The resemblance to strawberries, however, does not apply to the taste. While it does have a somewhat gritty skin, when fully ripe the fruit itself has the texture of a lush tropical fruit and has a delicate pleasant flavor. For those people with sensitive taste buds, this is a fruit that can be enjoyed when eaten in moderate quantities. The fruit can also be cooked and is used to make delicious and nourishing jams and preserves. Arbutus and Eucalyptus grow wonderfully together, each has similar needs and requirements, and the rate of growth is very close.