Planting a strawberry tree from seeds. Growing a strawberry tree from seeds: practical tips

Botanical name: Strawberry tree or Kudrania (Cornus capitata). Belongs to the Mulberry family.

Homeland of the strawberry tree: East Asia.

Lighting: photophilous.

The soil: slightly acidic, nutritious mixture consisting of earth, humus, peat and sand.

Watering: moderate.

Max Height: 6 m.

Average life expectancy: 50 years.

Landing: seeds, cuttings, root shoots.

Description of the strawberry tree and its photo

Kudrania is a fast-growing deciduous tree, up to 6 m high. The leaves are small, pale, yellowish-green, entire or sparsely toothed.

The fruits are round, 2-3 cm in diameter, red or burgundy when ripe, and have an external resemblance to mulberry and. Their pulp is juicy, aromatic, sweet, with a pleasant taste reminiscent of persimmon. It contains numerous small seeds inside. The first fruits appear in the 5-6th year of the tree’s life. Individuals that have reached 10 years of age produce the richest harvests. One tree produces 150-200 kg of fruit.

The strawberry tree grows wild in East Asia. Cultivated in the south of Russia.

This exotic plant is warm and light-loving. It is not very demanding on soil, but it develops better in slightly acidic nutrient soil mixtures with good drainage. Propagated by seeds, cuttings, root shoots.

In warm climates it is grown in open ground. Can be used as a potted plant.

Application. Kudrania is grown mainly for its fruits and is used for landscaping streets and gardens, as well as for soil stabilization.

Due to the high sugar content and minimal amount of acids, the sweet fruits of the strawberry tree are used in fresh. In addition, they are used to make compotes, jam, preserves, and jelly.

Growing a Strawberry Tree

The most common method of propagating this crop is cuttings. However, rooting of cuttings can take 3-4 months. Rooted cuttings are planted in separate containers, having previously filled them with coarse sand and vermiculite. It should be noted that seedlings take root very slowly in a new location. For better survival after transplantation, they are watered with planta solution and sprayed with growth stimulants.

Curls are also propagated using root shoots. For this from mother plant Carefully separate the daughter shoots, place them in small containers and water them with root solution. Root suckers quickly take root, begin to grow actively, and reach a height of about 1 m in a year.

When growing a strawberry tree you need regular care. In spring, shoots that are too long and shoots growing upward or inside the crown are removed. In summer, formative pruning is carried out.

Strawberry tree (Arbutus) – evergreen heat-loving plant with high decorative qualities. It is especially attractive during the period of flowering and ripening of fruits, which in appearance resemble garden strawberries. It’s easy to verify this just by looking at a photo of a tree with ripening fruits. The plant got its name for this similarity.

Description of the plant, variety and variety

Arbutus is a slow growing plant. At the age of 10 years they reach a height of only 2.5 m, and by the age of 50 - 5 m. They are long-lived. They belong to the Heather family. They grow as a large shrub or low-growing tree.

There are about 14 species of this plant. The most famous are two of them:

• Arbutus unedo– Common strawberry, or large-fruited strawberry tree;

Large-fruited strawberry tree

• Arbutus andrachne– The red strawberry tree is a crop with small fruits.

Red strawberry tree

Large-fruited arbutus is more common in cultivation. The culture is not frost-resistant; in severe winters the plant may freeze. Therefore, on the territory climate zone The middle zone and Moscow region is grown in closed ground, greenhouses, winter gardens and residential premises.

The strawberry tree is valued for its decorative qualities. The trunk of the plant is red-brown, the branches are oddly shaped, the leaves are leathery, oval, emerald green. White, cream or pale pink lantern-shaped flowers are collected in panicles. The flowers of the “Rubra” variety have a more saturated pink hue.

Flowering variety Rubra

The fruits are edible, red-orange when ripe, which in combination with bright green foliage looks very attractive, just look at the photo of the plant during the period of fruit ripening. Characteristic feature The strawberry plant sheds its bark every year. It falls off, revealing a trunk with young, pistachio-colored bark, with some rustling and crackling, for which the plant is nicknamed “whisperer”.

The strawberry tree tends to shed its bark

Planting a strawberry tree

In the Moscow region, strawberry trees are grown mainly as a potted crop. The plant can withstand only minor and short-term frosts, but is not able to tolerate severe frosts. You can purchase a ready-made arbutus seedling or grow a tree from the seeds of ripened fruits.

The process of planting and growing from seeds consists of several stages:

• within 2 months, the seeds are stratified in a substrate consisting of 7 parts of high-moor peat mixed with 3 parts of river sand;
• After this, soak the seeds for a week in warm water;
• plant in the soil to a depth of 1.5 cm, place the container in a warm and shaded place;
• With the emergence of seedlings (within 2-3 months), sometimes spray the sprouts and, without allowing the soil to completely dry out, water.

Seedlings strawberry tree

The strawberry tree can grow well in almost any soil - dense and loose, acidic and alkaline. Any universal soil is quite suitable for growing it indoors.

Advice. For better survival of strawberries, a good option would be to plant them in soil collected from under woody plants.

Strawberry tree: care

This plant is surprisingly unpretentious. Caring for it consists of:

• regular watering during the growing season with soft, settled water;
• sufficient feeding;
• ensuring a period of rest in winter.

The optimal temperature for growing strawberries is 20-25 degrees. This is a light-loving plant and requires good lighting. When kept indoors, it is advisable to place the tree in the fresh air for the summer, placing it in a sunny, wind-free place (a gazebo or balcony is suitable). IN winter time After the end of fruiting, it needs to be provided with rest. The most favorable temperature for it during this period is from 3 to 10 degrees.

Strawberry tree with winter garden

Watering during flowering and fruit formation should be regular, moderately abundant, without excessive waterlogging of the soil. The plant is considered drought-resistant and does not need additional spraying. In the cool winter, watering is significantly limited.

Pruning to form the strawberry crown is usually not done, only sanitary pruning is done - in order to remove weak, damaged, dried branches.

Attention! This culture loves Fresh air. The room where the plant is located must be ventilated periodically.

Fertilizer and feeding

In spring and summer, feed the plant with compost or manure 2 times a month. When maintaining a home, they usually use complex fertilizer. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are used to stimulate growth. In winter, at temperatures below 10-12 degrees, fertilizing is not carried out.

Strawberry propagation

This culture uses 2 methods of propagation - seed and apical cuttings young plant. They are cut in August and kept in the greenhouse for the first winter, planting them in the ground in the spring after the end of frost. Cuttings taken from an old tree practically do not take root.

Strawberry tree sprouts

Pests and diseases

The strawberry tree is disease resistant. If the watering regime is not followed and the soil is excessively moistened, there is a possibility of fungal diseases; they are determined by brown spots on the foliage. The main pest is the spider mite. He loves to settle on this plant, which adversely affects its development.

Strawberry is a beautiful ornamental plant with edible fruits, during the ripening of which it looks especially picturesque. At proper cultivation and care of the tree long years will serve as a decoration for a winter garden or living space.

How to grow a strawberry tree: video

Strawberry tree: photo

Still wondering how to increase the strawberry harvest at your dacha? Then we suggest paying attention to an original design idea specifically for country gardening!

You no longer have to take away soil from your cucumbers or potatoes to make another extra strawberry bed.

True, at the first stage you will have to put in a little more effort than to arrange a ground bed with garden strawberries, but it's worth it!

A tree with hanging strawberry containers is as attractive as it is productive. You can grow up to forty strawberry plants on one tree without fear of slugs and soil phytopathogens.

To create such a delicious installation, you will need:

• Dry wood

• Tool to dig deep hole for installing wood, and a drill

• 10 x 50cm thick hanging hooks and brackets and screws for securing

• 10 hanging baskets made of thick wire or galvanized metal with coconut fiber liners

• 10 metal chains for baskets

• Installation for drip irrigation, since it will be inconvenient for you to constantly water the upper baskets manually. However, the drip irrigation system can be omitted if you like to do acrobatics, and you can simplify the task of supplying plants with moisture using hydrogel balls. Placed in a soil mixture, they will accumulate water during watering and then release it to the plants.

By selecting dry wood, remove the bark and treat the trunk with moisture-repellent impregnations, at the same time getting rid of insects that can live in old wood.

When choosing strawberry varieties, pay attention to remontant varieties that can produce several harvests per season, for example, Queen Elizabeth garden strawberries. The Alba variety of climbing and frost-resistant strawberries is well suited.

How to plant a strawberry tree

Choose the most on the site sunny place. Dig a hole 50 to 70 centimeters deep to support the weight of the post with the filled baskets.

Mark the post for hooks and drill holes for the screws.

Attach the hooks and use a level to position the table vertically. For reliability, the base can be concreted or the earth compacted as tightly as possible.

Fill each basket with soil. High Quality, and then plant 3-4 strawberry plants in each basket.

Hang the basket and adjust the chain.

How to care for a strawberry tree

Watering is an important component of care, since the soil in containers dries quickly in summer time. As stated above, the best option There will be installation of drip irrigation systems.

If you prefer to water by hand, do so only around the outer circle of soil in each basket, where air circulation is greatest. This will prevent root rot, to which strawberries are sensitive when overwatered, and will also help protect the foliage of garden strawberries from moisture and the development of diseases.

Be sure to spend regular feeding liquid to provide plants with the necessary amount of nutrients to produce large, beautiful and juicy berries.

Remove shoots and dry foliage and ensure that birds do not get the berries. Birds, especially starlings, love to eat fresh strawberries, especially when you so kindly hung the baskets with plants higher. To scare away birds, you can decorate the tree with “pendants” of old disks that glitter in the sun, or leave a branch for a funny scarecrow. An alternative is to apply a humane repellent to the top of the trunk. Thus, you will discourage birds not only from the berries growing on the structure, but also drive them away from the garden without causing harm.

Pick berries on time, do not allow the fruits to rot.

Every new season you should start with disinfecting the baskets and filling them with new soil mixture, since over the summer the plants will use up the entire supply of nutrients in the soil, which can also become a place for the accumulation of phytopathogens.

(Strawberry tree idea and photo credits to Van Chaplin).

ARBUTUS

It turns out that the trees we all know from childhood are not only fruit and ornamental. Among them there are strawberry, tulip, lily of the valley, bottle, even sausage and candy ones. Each name reflects either the shape of the fruit or the flowers, which resemble other plants. For example, the strawberry tree (Arbutus) from the Heather family was so named because its fruits are vaguely similar in appearance to the well-known strawberry.

LARGE STRAWBERRY TREE

A typical representative of the genus Arbutus is the large-fruited strawberry tree - Arbutus unedo. This is what is described in the scientific literature, giving general characteristics family It is also often called by the name of the genus “Strawberry tree” without specifying “large-fruited”. Names-synonyms of Arbutus large-fruited tree: Common strawberry, Common strawberry tree, Common arbutus, Large-fruited strawberry.

Large-fruited strawberry tree is amazing beautiful plant. Its high decorative value is due to the coincidence of the time of flowering and fruiting, which is why on the branches you can simultaneously see blooming white flowers and ripening last year’s fruits of different colors, depending on the degree of maturity: yellow, orange, red, burgundy.

SPREADING

Now the large-fruited strawberry tree can be seen in parks and just on the streets of many European cities, as well as in America, Mexico and Canada. But initially it grew only in the Mediterranean, as well as in some regions of France and Ireland. The map below shows the natural habitats of the Arbutus arbutus. In nature, the common strawberry settles on sandy or calcareous slopes, often in mountainous areas along the coast Mediterranean Sea, grows in community with other trees and shrubs.

The northern limit of its range is in Ireland. The growth of this subtropical plant here is surprising at first glance, but is fully explained by the proximity to the warm Gulf Stream and the hotter climate that existed in these places before the great glaciation (excavations indicate that Arbutus unedo grew here during this period). Once upon a time, the common arbutus was even called the Irish strawberry tree. And the Irish themselves called it not a strawberry, but a cane apple. Obviously, because the large-fruited strawberry tree grew there mainly in the form of a bush or low tree. From Ireland in the 16th century it was brought to England as a gift to the royal garden. There the plants took root well and are thriving to this day, having spread to other counties.

This species of Arbutus was imported into Russia at the beginning of the 19th century and, in single copies, took root in the Caucasus in the foothills on the Black Sea coast and in Crimea at the southern tip of the peninsula, where a subtropical climate prevails. The lower photo of a large-fruited strawberry tree was taken in Crimea.

DESCRIPTION AND USEFUL PROPERTIES

FLOWERS

Flowering of the large-fruited strawberry tree begins in October-November and lasts until December-February. Terms and duration depend on many conditions. The large-fruited strawberry tree has white or pinkish flowers. They are small, up to 10 mm at their widest part, collected in 10-30 pieces in loose drooping panicles. Even a separate tree can bloom and bear fruit, since the structure of the flower contains both male and female organs reproduction, that is, the plant is bisexual and does not require a pollinator plant.

The flowers resemble jugs with their necks down, or lilies of the valley. Each individual does not shine with beauty; together, when there are hundreds of them on a tree, they present an intoxicating, fragrant, foamy splendor. They are pollinated by insects, which always swarm over the blooming strawberries in whole armies. Like all its relatives, large-fruited arbutus can be used as a honey plant.

FRUIT

After the flowers wither, ovaries are formed, from which the fruits will ripen only a year later, just during the period of new flowering. These are berries with small seeds (drupes). They can reach 20 mm in diameter - these are the most large fruits among all types of strawberries. Round in shape, they are completely covered with small tubercles. Green and yellow at the beginning of ripening, orange and red, after about a year, at the stage of full ripeness, the fruits acquire a red-brown color.

One can argue about the taste of strawberry tree fruits. Many people don’t like it, although the berries can be called quite edible. Their yellow, sweetish pulp contains up to 20% sugars. It is mealy, slightly sour, with the aroma of strawberries. The taste is reminiscent of an exotic fruit: for some kiwi, for others persimmon, for others a strong pear. The tannin content in berries gives them astringency and a slight bitterness. Among all types of strawberry trees, the fruits of arbutus macrofruit are recognized as the most delicious, but only if they are completely ripe. The berries are more popular among birds than among humans, and the ripe ones are quickly eaten by them.

Cooks and winemakers love the berries of the large-fruited strawberry tree. And not only for original taste. After all, they contain useful substances, for example, a lot of vitamin C. The fruits of the strawberry tree can be eaten fresh and used in dishes. They are used to prepare compotes, jams, jellies, sweets and even alcohol. The berries are often used to prepare the traditional alcoholic drink of the Southern Slavs, “rakia”; the Portuguese brandy Medronho and the Madrid liqueur Madroño are prepared from them, which is why the tree itself is called by this name - madroño.

Only fully ripened fruits are suitable for food. Unripe ones not only taste bitter, but can also cause food poisoning: weakness, dizziness, headache, stomach upset.

The ripe harvest is collected from the tree by hand; the picked fruits can lie for several days without losing their quality. Berries that fall to the ground break and quickly deteriorate, so they are processed immediately. To protect crumbling berries from strong blows, trunk circle keep it clean, trim the grass growing there or cover the soil with something.

TRUNK, BARK, LEAVES

The large-fruited strawberry tree can grow as a shrub, but can be a tree about 10 meters high. Specimens reaching 15 meters are known. They have a slender, powerful trunk with a diameter of 80 cm or more. In culture, they usually do not reach such sizes. The bark is dark gray or brown, with multiple small cracks, wrinkled. It does not peel off like the small-fruited strawberry or Mencissa strawberry tree.

The wood of the plant is strong and light, very durable; they say that sometimes it is impossible to drive a nail into the tree. But it is not used in construction, since the lumber warps greatly. Wood is a very efficient fuel, as it has a high calorific value, surpassing oak in its properties. In addition, the wood is used to make turning crafts, carpentry, and musical instruments.

The bark contains a lot of andromedotoxin, which, if ingested, can cause dizziness, vomiting, weakness, heart problems and other symptoms of poisoning. This toxic glycoside may be present in small quantities in other parts of the plant, but there it is in a concentration that is not dangerous to humans. You can do harm if you eat a lot of strawberries and drink their drinks, decoctions and infusions excessively. The same applies to honey collected from the strawberry tree.

The crown of the large-fruited strawberry is very beautiful, compact and lush, often taking the shape of a hemisphere. On thick branches all year round dark green glossy leaves are abundant, lighter on the underside. Foliage that does not fall characterizes the tree as evergreen foliage plant. The dimensions of the leaf blade range from 40 to 100 mm in length and from 20 to 35 mm in width, which is slightly smaller than that of small-fruited strawberries. At the same time, the leaves are elongated, jagged and slightly pointed at the end, and have long petioles.

The presence of a large amount of tannin in the leaves of the large-fruited strawberry tree makes it possible to use them for tanning leather, pickling fibers, and also for obtaining tannin for medicinal purposes. It is used as a hemostatic, antihemorrhoidal, antidiarrheal and poison neutralizing agent.

APPLICATION IN MEDICINE AND COSMETOLOGY

The large-fruited strawberry tree is widely used by folk healers, since all its parts have beneficial properties– diaphoretic, astringent, antiseptic, antimycotic, sedative and anti-inflammatory. From the bark of the plant, preparations are prepared that are used for eczema, cystitis, inflammation of the urethra and other organs of the genitourinary system. Decoctions and tinctures of flowers help with colds, sore throat, stomatitis, and sinusitis. Decoctions from the leaves are used for problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and the bark is used for any injuries to the skin. And once upon a time, even the plague was treated with preparations from the large-fruited strawberry. It must be borne in mind that all these remedies should not be taken by pregnant and lactating women and children, since the andromedotoxin present in the plant does not disintegrate during heat treatment or drying.

Connoisseurs of natural cosmetics use the large-fruited strawberry tree in various lotions, creams, and masks. A fragrant scrub is prepared from the berries, which cleanses and disinfects the body well.

GROWING

As an ornamental plant, the large-fruited strawberry tree has been valued and used for many centuries. In gardens and parks it looks good as a solo plant planted separately. It can grow in company with other crops whose growing conditions are similar. It is planted as an alley plant or hedge. When forming a standard tree, the lower branches are removed. Low-growing and red-flowered forms are especially popular among gardeners and indoor floriculture enthusiasts: Rubra, Compacta (right photo), Elfin King, Croomei.

The strawberry tree is large-fruited, like all strawberries, a heat-loving plant. In open ground it is recommended for 8-10 frost resistance zones , which means it can grow at temperatures not lower than -7-12 degrees C. It can withstand short-term drops to -15-16 degrees. Because they bloom late, plants in cold climates require shelter.

The best summer temperatures are +25 degrees, +30 degrees and above are acceptable. In the south of the Crimean Peninsula and on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, it bears fruit weakly and not everywhere, since buds, flowers and leaves are already damaged at -12 -14 degrees. After such freezing, the plant recovers. In Russia, it is more suitable for humid subtropical winter gardens and greenhouses. Bonsai lovers can grow a strawberry tree in an apartment. Strawberry tree grown in bonsai form and displayed on bottom photo, 30 years. This is an exhibit from the exhibition “The World in a Clay Bowl”, held in the Botanical Garden “Apothecary Garden”.

Under optimal growing conditions, the plant has proven itself to be unpretentious and drought-resistant. It needs large quantities sun/light, protection from winds. Withstands partial shade and urban pollution. The large-fruited strawberry tree is used in landscape architecture, and are also planted to strengthen slopes, especially on acidic soils.

In cultivation, it loves nutritious, moist and drained soil, tolerates heavy clay soil, but feels better when planted in light sandy or medium clay soil. Tolerant of acidic soils, prefers calcareous soils.

REPRODUCTION

Seedling . For planting, it is better to purchase a seedling with a closed root system (in a pot). They are often sold already bearing fruit, while when grown from seeds you will have to wait a long time for results. Domestic nurseries do not specialize in this exotic plant, so it won’t be easy to buy what you want.

Seeds. But the seeds are from some foreign manufacturers are quite accessible to us. And you should expect good results, because in nature, propagation by seeds is very successful with the help of birds. It should be taken into account that under the name “strawberry tree” the seeds of other decorative look strawberry They are grown in the same way. Those who wish can bring ripe and healthy strawberry fruits from their trips to Europe, Crimea, Sochi and prepare seeds from them (separate and wash).

Vegetative method. Propagation by root cuttings, which are separated at the end of winter from the trunk in the area of ​​the root collar and planted for rooting, gives a good result, but somewhat worse.

Reproduction by layering is very slow, rooting lasts up to two years. The shoot must be cut, pinned to the ground and covered with earth.

An ineffective method is propagation by semi-lignified cuttings taken from the current year's shoots. They are planted in late autumn - early winter under glass using a root former.

GROWING FROM SEEDS

Self-collected seeds are sown fresh. Dry ones are pre-soaked. Seeds must undergo wet stratification before sowing. To do this, take a container, fill it with soil, into which the seeds are placed at a shallow depth (about 10 mm). All this is watered, covered with a bag and placed in the refrigerator (not freezer) for three months. You can use a balcony or loggia.
There are many recipes for preparing soil:
- ordinary garden soil,
- a mixture of perlite, vermiculite and palm soil,
- from soil for conifers, sand and peat.

A little hint - the strawberry tree grows well in symbiosis with a special mushroom. Therefore, the ideal soil for sowing seeds and further cultivation The plants will be soil taken from where adult strawberries grow. Adding vermiculite to it will further increase the chances of success.

Sometimes it happens that seeds begin to germinate already in the refrigerator. Then the container with the seedlings is placed on the northern window, where it is warm, but not hot, and there is no sunlight. If, after 3 months, there are still no seedlings, the containers with the seeds are still removed from the refrigerator and placed on the same non-sunny window, but the bags are not removed from them. There is evidence that the seeds began to germinate only 10 months after sowing, so you need to be patient and carefully continue to moisten the soil in containers as it dries.

PLANTING AND CARE

If the seeds have sprouted, the bags are removed from the planting containers. All care at this stage will consist of watering, but not flooding, the seedlings with water and providing them with a temperature in the region of +20+22 degrees. When future strawberries grow to 5 cm, they are picked. This must be done as carefully as possible, without disturbing the earthen lump, since the strawberry tree has an incredibly delicate and fragile root system. Older seedlings may not survive the picking at all. Next, young plants are grown in containers allocated for them until the 8th leaf appears, after which they are moved to permanent place residence. There it is advisable to provide them with conditions similar to natural ones, for example, as in the right picture: stones and pine needles. The needles will become a good mulch for young roots and, together with pebbles, will protect them from drying out, while at the same time ensuring the necessary acidity of the soil.

In the garden, the strawberry tree needs to be given a place in the sun, at least where there is light partial shade not all daylight hours. It is also important to ensure soil drainage. That's probably all. The strawberry tree is large-fruited, grows in open ground, and does not require complex care. He only needs to receive water from time to time (when the soil becomes dry). In the first years of its life, a young strawberry can be fed with organic matter, adding it no more than twice a year. After 3-4 years, fertilizing may not be necessary.

A large-fruited strawberry tree growing in a house or winter garden also does not require complex care. It needs to be provided with very moderate watering and fed once or twice a year. In addition, every few years, the strawberry must be very carefully transferred into a larger pot, without destroying the earthen lump. In winter, the plant should be placed where it is not hot and the air warms up to a maximum of +15 degrees, and in summer it should be taken out into the air.

PROBLEMS OF GROWING

The large-fruited strawberry tree may be affected spider mite and thrips. In such cases, treatment with suitable insecticides is recommended.

Diseases of the strawberry tree: late blight, anthracnose, rust, root rot. Correct conditions maintenance and prevention will prevent their occurrence. In case of damage, the necessary medications are used. The photo shows a large-fruited strawberry tree growing in Tuapse. The difference with its Mediterranean relatives is obvious.

When overwatered, the plant's leaves appear dark spots, and the leaves themselves droop. The reason is root rotting. Then the plant is removed from the pot, what is rotting is removed, treated with antiseptics (for example, potassium permanganate) and planted in fresh soil.

It may happen that the strawberry suddenly begins to completely shed its leaves. The reason here is a lack of moisture, which is why the soil in the pot dries out completely and becomes like a stone. Treatment - give the plant a drink, spray its leaves with water from a spray bottle and continue to adhere the desired schedule glaze.

Another nuisance for gardeners may be the lack of fruiting. That is, the large-fruited strawberry tree blooms in the house, but does not bear fruit. The reason is lack of pollination. If this happens, you can try to solve the problem with a brush, transferring pollen from one flower to another.

INTERESTING HISTORICAL FACTS

The large-fruited strawberry tree is not just a relic, it boasts a unique history. So, in the legends of peoples northwestern Europe it is said that it was this plant that saved people during the flood. The tree grew on a mountain that became a mound when the water began to rise. People grabbed onto it like an anchor and thus saved themselves from imminent death. And the strawberry farmer, in addition, fed them.

There is information that the large-fruited strawberry tree was known by Pliny the Elder, who, as is known, lived in the vastly distant 1st century AD. He believed that this plant should not be planted where bees take their bribes, because strawberry nectar makes honey bitter. But the people (mostly men), on the contrary, loved to relax under the shade of the strawberry during its ripening period, because its edible, but for most - tasteless, berries had a slight alcoholic effect. But these are all just assumptions of historians.

But why the large-fruited strawberry tree is called “unedo” in Latin is known for sure. This word is derived from "unum tantum edo". That's what the same Pliny used to say. In Russian it means “I eat alone.” Most likely, the ancient Roman celebrity did not like the berries at all, and he could eat no more than one of them. Knowing the taste of the berries, one can hardly assume that they were so good that you didn’t want to share them with anyone, but wanted to eat them all alone. Or perhaps it was a warning not to eat too much fruit.

The great Carl Linnaeus was the first to describe the large-fruited strawberry tree, and assigned the name “Arbutus unedo” to the plant. This happened in 1753, but to this day the large-fruited strawberry is called exactly that in Latin.

But even earlier, in 1222, the image of a strawberry tree appeared on the coat of arms of Madrid as a symbol of victory in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, as a result of which the city gained possession of the large-fruited strawberry tree forest. Before this event, the coat of arms was decorated with a bear. Now the bear eating the berries of the strawberry tree has become a symbol of the city.

In France, the common strawberry tree was called maquis, since it, among other evergreen hard-leaved and thorny shrubs and trees, grew in difficult thickets in which French partisans hid from the Nazis. Maquis is the French name for such a community of plants, and the members of the resistance themselves were also called “maquis”.

TYPES OF STRAWBERRY TREE

There are a total of 11 species of strawberry tree (or strawberry tree, or arbutus). Some of them are common in America and Mexico, and are also found in Canada. This:

Arbutus menziesii - Arbutus Mencissa, also known as madroña. American species, grows up to 25 m in height, has dark red exfoliating bark, large inflorescences up to 15 cm long. Cultivated since the 19th century. Wood is used as fuel in some states North America along the Pacific coast.

Arbutus canariensis – The Canary arbutus tree, endemic to the Canary Islands, is known in Spain as madroño canario - madroño canario.

Arbutus arizonica – Arizona strawberry tree, northwestern Mexico and southwestern USA, tree up to 14 m high.

Arbutus × androsterilis – a hybrid of the Mediterranean species Large-fruited strawberry tree (A. Unedo) and the endemic of the Canary Islands Canary strawberry tree (A. Canariensis). In American nurseries it is sold under the name Arbutus "Marina", named after the town of Marina in San Francisco (California), where it was hybridized. Very decorative and unpretentious in culture.

Arbutus xalapensis – Texas strawberry tree, native America, Mexico, tree height up to 25 m, trunk up to 50 cm in diameter, peeling bark, berries up to 1 cm in diameter.

Arbutus tessellata - Mexican shrubby species of arbutus.

Arbutus occidentalis – Western strawberry tree, endemic to Mexico, the height of the shrub is no more than a meter, grows horizontally, forming colonies up to 1.8 m.

Arbutus madrensis - a species of Mexican origin.

Another group of strawberries grows primarily in the Mediterranean.

Arbutus andrachne – Strawberry tree red, or Greek , is also found in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and its northern border runs along the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. The height of the tree can reach 12 m. It can be distinguished from the large-fruited strawberry by its bare (without rough bark) and reddish branches and trunk.

Arbutus unedo – The large-fruited strawberry tree is a symbol of Madrid; the largest forests are located in Spain. Single imported specimens are found in the south of our country. How ornamental plants Popular are low-growing forms with a slow growth rate, bearing fruit on ringlets, as well as forms with pink flowers:
Compacta – does not grow higher than 1.8-2 m;
Croomei – pink flowers, slow growing form;
Rubra - trees with pink flowers, height at 50 years can reach only 4-8 m, were discovered in Ireland;
Elfin King - this strawberry has the largest fruits with a diameter of up to 25 mm, the plant itself is no higher than a meter, ideal for pot culture.

Arbutus × andrachnoides - Hybrid strawberry tree. This natural hybrid originated in Greece as a result of cross-pollination of large-fruited and small-fruited strawberries, discovered in the 19th century. Its bark, fruits, and serrated leaf edges are inherited from the large-fruited strawberry tree, and big size leaves, flowering time, height are similar to small-fruited strawberry. The taste and size of the berries are not inferior to the large-fruited strawberry tree. Several introduced hybrid plants can be seen in Crimea and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. A popular species in cultivation, unpretentious, highly decorative, its fruits are recognized as the most delicious and largest among other strawberries. Synonymous names: Arbutus × hybrid, A. andrachne × A. Unedo.