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Strawberry tree

Arbutus unedo

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Full sun

Soil moisture

free-draining, average

Heat tolerance

Up to about 42°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -10°C

Waterlogging tolerance

1/5

Drought tolerance

5/5

Mature size

3–6 m tall, 4 m spread

Seasonal interest

Autumn flower and fruit · Cream and red

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 4/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Slow growing; dislikes prolonged frost.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Arbutus unedo L.
Family
Ericaceae (Ericales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 2882803

Recorded native range: Portugal Continental

Recorded as introduced in: Belgium, Canary Is., France, Great Britain, Ireland, Madeira, Madeira Island, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Tasmania, The Netherlands

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Arbutus unedo, commonly known as strawberry tree, also called madrone, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, the arbutus berry, which bear some resemblance to the strawberry, hence the common name strawberry tree. However, it is not closely related to true strawberries of the genus Fragaria. Its presence in Ireland also lends it the name Irish strawberry tree, or cain, or cane apple (from the Irish name for the tree, caithne), or sometimes Killarney strawberry tree. The strawberry tree is the national tree of Italy because of its green leaves, its white flowers and its red berries, colors that recall the Italian flag. The flower of the strawberry tree is the national flower of Italy.

Description from Wikipedia — Arbutus unedo (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: climate-suitable
  • United States: climate-suitable
  • Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.