This Mediterranean shrub, when planted in the ground, quickly becomes a small tree with some presence (it can reach 10 m). It\u2019s very hardy, with an irregular rounded crown and a rustic look we know well, as it\u2019s often found in our landscape. It\u2019s already a species that grows naturally, especially south of the Tagus, alongside Cork Oak, Holm Oak, and Maritime Pine. The reason is simple: it\u2019s directly linked to its origin (the Mediterranean basin), which makes it a shrub\/tree that\u2019s very well adapted to our mild climate and coastal areas. You can plant it on its own or in groups to create living hedges. Its leaves are lance-shaped, green, and glossy. The flowers are white and appear in hanging clusters in late summer\/early autumn, followed by its fruit, which looks like a strawberry and can be eaten when ripe\u2014very sweet and tasty. The fruit is used to make the famous spirit \u201cAguardente de Medronho\u201d, and it\u2019s also used to make marmalade, jam, and honey. Its green branches are also used in floral arrangements.<\/p>\n
Scientific name<\/strong>: Arbutus unedo<\/em> CUIDADOS<\/strong> Fun facts<\/strong>: Unedo<\/em> means in Latin \u201cI eat only one, no more\u201d Producing aguardente by fermenting the fruits is the main reason for the economic interest in this crop. But strawberry tree firewood and charcoal are higher quality than holm oak, although the economic profitability of producing them is debatable.<\/p>\n WARNING! Representative photo \u2013 the image shown is of a stock item at the time of cataloging and serves as a reference. The plant supplied will be similar to the photo but, depending on its growth stage, may vary in shape, appearance, or size (e.g., different leaf colour, with or without flowers\/fruit, etc.). A altura referida inclui o vaso pl\u00e1stico que se v\u00ea na fotografia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Mediterranean shrub, when planted in the ground, quickly becomes a small tree with some presence (it can reach 10 m). It\u2019s very hardy, with an irregular rounded crown and a rustic look we know well, as it\u2019s often found in our landscape. It\u2019s already a species that grows naturally, especially south of the Tagus, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30199,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[744,743],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-86651","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-outdoor-plants","7":"product_cat-plants","9":"first","10":"instock","11":"taxable","12":"shipping-taxable","13":"purchasable","14":"product-type-simple"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/86651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=86651"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=86651"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hortodocampogrande.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=86651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Common name<\/strong>: Strawberry tree
Family<\/strong>: Ericaceae<\/em>
Origin<\/strong>: Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe
Category<\/strong>: Outdoor plant
Climate<\/strong>: Mediterranean
Approx. height<\/strong>: 1 m\u20131.20 m
Pot diameter\/volume<\/strong>: 21cm (5L)<\/p>\n
Light<\/strong>: Prefers full sun, but tolerates partial shade (direct sun for part of the day).
Temperature<\/strong>: Very hardy and tolerates high and low temperatures (down to -15 \u00b0C).
Watering<\/strong>: Water regularly in the first year; after that it tolerates long dry spells well, especially when planted in the ground\u2014if it\u2019s in a pot\/planter, keep a closer eye on it. Doesn\u2019t tolerate waterlogging.
Humidity<\/strong>: Adapts well to different environments and handles coastal areas (wind and sea breeze).
Fertilising<\/strong>: Low requirements\u2014just feed in spring with a suitable product, especially if it\u2019s in a pot.
Pruning<\/strong>: In autumn or spring, remove dead\/crossing branches, and cut branches inside the canopy to improve airflow, let in light, and prevent pests\/fungal issues.
Life cycle<\/strong>: Perennial.
Soil<\/strong>: Tolerates various substrates\/soils, though it prefers slightly acidic, sandy, siliceous, cool, well-drained soils.
Not Pet Friendly<\/strong>: Not a safe plant for pets.<\/p>\n