Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo is an evergreen shrub or small tree, which can reach a height of up to 12 m (39 1/3 ft), but is, often, much lower. Its leaves are oblong -

lanceolate, short-stalked and toothed, sometimes obscurely so.

It produces masses of drooping, beautiful white flowers, which are often tinged with pink or green. They are bell-shaped, with recurved lobes, 8 - 9 mm (approx. 1/3 in) long, and honey-scented. Since the fruit take about 12 months to ripen, the tree carries both mature fruits and flowers at the same time and is then incredibly beautiful.

Fruits vary considerably in size, though, on average, they are about 15 - 20 mm (5/8 - 6/8 in) in diameter. They are globose berries, covered in conical swellings, ripening through yellow to scarlet and deep crimson. From a distance, they look somewhat like strawberries, hence the plant's common name.

According to "Plants for a Future", the fruit, which is sweet but insipid, can be eaten raw or cooked. The Latin name, "unedo", means "I eat one (only)" and suggests that the fruit is not very palatable, though another report says that the fruit is so delicious that a person only needs to eat one. It does have a somewhat gritty skin, but 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 contains about 20% sugars and can be used to make delicious and nourishing jams and preserves. In the past, it was used, in the Pelion region and other parts of Greece, to make tsipouro. However, collecting the fruit was an onerous task, so people, nowadays, use other ingredients for the production of the spirit.

The same source states that the strawberry tree has little use in herbalism, though it does deserve modern investigation. All parts of the plant contain ethyl gallate, a substance that possesses strong antibiotic activity against the Mycobacterium bacteria. The leaves, bark and root are astringent and diuretic. They are also a renal antiseptic and so are of use in the treatment of affections of the urinary system such as cystitis and urethritis. Their astringent action makes them of use in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery and, like many other astringent plants, a gargle can be made for treating sore and irritated throats. The leaves are gathered in the summer and dried for later use. The flowers are weakly diaphoretic.

Type of plant
Evergreen shrub or small tree

Flowering Season
October - March

Known Hazards
None known

Known Uses
The fruit is edible and can be used to make delicious and nourishing jams and preserves; it can also be used for the production of tsipouro. The plant has astringent, diuretic and antibiotic properties and can be used as a renal antiseptic. "Plants for a Future" rate this plant 4 out of 5 for edibility and 2 out of 5 for medicinal use (min. 0, max. 5).

Habitat
Evergreen scrub, woodland margins, rocky slopes, generally on acid soils; often forms

maquis.

Distribution
Throughout the Mediterranean region, but rare in parts of North Africa.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae (Plants); Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular plants); Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed plants); Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants); Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons); Subclass: Dilleniidae; Order: Ericales; Family: Ericaceae (Heath family); Genus: Arbutus; Species: unedo

Acknowledgments

Information on the plant's edible and medicinal uses was obtained from "Plants for a Future".