Strawberry Tree

Strawberries that grow on trees? The pretty strawberry-like fruits of the evergreen arbutus with its cherry laurel-like leaves ripen from bright yellow to orange-red to bright red and are edible. But you can also boil it down to make strawberry tree jam or use it to make liqueur, as in Corsica. There is even a blossom honey in Sardinia – the Amaro di Corbezzolo. Since the fruit ripens over many months, the new buds, the pretty white flowers and the tasty fruits can often be seen on the plants at the same time. Due to its frost tolerance, the strawberry tree is not only suitable as a container plant, but can also be planted in sunny places in mild winter conditions and then reach a height of three to five meters.

Natural site
The strawberry tree is a typical plant of the Mediterranean region. It grows there at altitudes of up to over 3000 meters and also survives severe winter frosts.

Cultivation
Growing from seeds indoors is possible all year round. First, put the seeds in the refrigerator (stratify) for a month to simulate winter as the seed prepares for spring germination. Then sprinkle the fine seeds on moist potting soil and cover the seeds only a little with the substrate, which you then press down a little. Cover the cultivation vessel with cling film, which you have provided with holes. This protects the earth from drying out. Every two to three days you should remove the film for 2 hours. This prevents mold from forming on the potting soil. Place the cultivation vessel in a bright and warm place with around 20 ° Celsius and keep the cultivation soil moist, but not wet. You need a little patience with the germination period of the strawberry tree – it can be up to three months. You can later propagate the strawberry tree by cuttings.

Location
The strawberry tree prefers sunny; outdoors, a place protected from wind and rain on a heat-retaining wall is ideal.

Care
Water regularly, but moderately, because the strong laurel-like leaves ensure little evaporation. But avoid waterlogging (also in the coaster). Provide your tree with liquid container plant fertilizer once a month from April to October. Strawberry trees are easy to cut. The best time to prune is at the end of winter, before the fruit set.

Winter
Since the flowering of the Arbutus begins in winter, pots should be light at 5 ° to 18 ° Celsius. The cold resistance ranges from the second year to -15 ° Celsius in young plants and increases to -30 ° Celsius in older specimens. The underground tuber can survive severe frost or drought damage and then sprout again. Now only water enough (also planted specimens) that the root ball does not dry out completely.