Characteristics, arbutus cultivation, breeding tips, cultivation problems and solutions, interesting facts and species. Have you seen strawberry berries growing on trees? No? But this is possible, especially if you look at the arbutus tree at the time of ripening of its fruits. And how unusual it looks, during the period of dumping of its bark, exposing, like eucalyptus, the trunk from the hardened layer. The trunk and branches are like the delicate skin of an Ethiopian girl. Let's take a closer look at this green inhabitant of the planet.
Arbutus (Arbutus) or as it is called "Strawberry tree" or "Strawberry" is ranked in the genus of plants with a shrub or tree-like form of growth, which are part of the Heather family (Ericaceae). Most of the varieties of this genus can be seen in Mexico, but exotic is also found in Mediterranean lands, in the regions of North America and Europe (namely in Ireland). In our strip, the Strawberry tree is not uncommon on the southern coast of Crimea or in Abkhazia.
The growth rate of the plant is very slow, according to reliable sources at the age of 10, the height of the Strawberry can be measured only 2.5 meters, and at 45 it will not exceed the 5-meter mark. However, on the southern coast of Crimea in the village of Gaspra and on the top of Mount Ai-Nikola, near the village of Oreanda, according to some estimates of scientists, there are two trees, which are more than a thousand years old. The trunk in the girth of these ancient inhabitants of the green world of the planet reaches 4 meters. In the conditions of rooms, the height of Strawberry rarely exceeds one meter or one and a half meters.
Arbutus is very fond of bright sun and can perfectly tolerate dry periods. Plants are small trees or large shrubs with evergreen leaves. The bark on the trunks is smooth, shaded with coral-red tones, or it can be with multiple cracks, a rough surface and brown color. The leaf plates are located on the branches in a regular sequence. The surface of the leaf is leathery, wrinkled, they are whole-edged or have a serrated edge, petioles are attached to the shoots.
From the flowers, panicle inflorescences are collected, which grow vertically upward or hang to the soil. The calyx is deeply dissected into five lobes; after the flower petals fall off, it remains on the fruit. The corolla of the bud is formed from accrete petals, its outlines are jugular-spherical. After the end of flowering, it immediately falls off. It is whitish or pinkish in color and has five blunt prongs that curl outward. The stamens do not protrude from the corolla, there are 10 of them. The ovary has five nests and contains multiple ovules.
After flowering, the fruit ripens in the form of a berry with numerous seeds, five-celled, rounded in shape. The pulp of the berry is mealy, on the surface of the fruit there are glands of lumpy outlines. The seed is small and elliptical in shape. It is because of these fruits that the plant got the name "strawberry tree"; from a distance they look very much like the aforementioned berries of garden strawberries. Their color is red-orange and against the background of bright green leaf plates they look quite impressive. The fruits can be eaten, they taste sweet and juicy.
An interesting feature is that the plant sheds bark every year. When it falls, the trunk is very elegantly exposed, exposing its young interior with the already new bark of pistachio, pink or yellowish tint, which later turns brown with the addition of coral tones. Because of this, Strawberry is often called the "shameless" tree. And since the bark falls off with a characteristic rustling sound and crackles at the same time, in some regions the arbutus is jokingly called a "whisper".
Often in rooms, the plant is used for growing in the bonsai technique.
Agrotechnical conditions for growing arbutus
- Location and lighting. To cultivate Strawberry, it is necessary to choose a bright place that will be sheltered from the action of the cold wind. You can plant it in partial shade. If arbutus is grown indoors, then the pot is placed on the windows of the east, west and south locations. Only in the south may it be necessary to shade at noon hours.
- Content temperature. When the plant grows in rooms, it is necessary, with the arrival of autumn, to reduce the heat indices to 12-14 degrees, with the subsequent limitation of watering.
- Watering. It is necessary to moisten the moistening bush in moderation, it is quite drought-resistant. In no case should the soil be poured over.
- Pruning a plant. Since the growth rate is small, molding is usually carried out rarely, since the growth per year is only 2.5 cm. At the end of winter, in adult specimens, branches are slightly pruned, which are knocked out of the total mass.
- Some features. Arbutus is not too resistant to temperature drops and for a short time can survive frost of -10-15 degrees. For the winter period, you will need to cover young plants with agrofibre or similar materials. With mulching of trunks.
- Arbutus fertilizers. If the plant is grown in greenhouses, it will need to be fertilized frequently from spring to autumn. You can take drugs for the Heather family. But sometimes they resort to fertilization with compost or Agri-Cola. Humus is introduced into the soil at the end of the winter period. When Arbutus is already an adult, granular dressings are used, they can increase the duration of the action of the minerals included in the drug. With the arrival of spring, Strawberry is fertilized with potash and nitrogen compounds.
- Transfer and selection of soil. When the plant is young, then it is transplanted every 2 years, and the pot is changed for adult trees as needed. There must be mandatory drainage in the container.
The soil for transplanting is taken from under the woody plants. Almost any substrate is suitable for Arbutus, the main thing is that it is loose, with good drainage properties. If the plant is grown indoors, then any universal soil is used.
Self-propagation of the strawberry tree
Like many plants, Strawberry can be grown from seed or used by cuttings.
The seed should be taken from fully ripe fruit. The collection is carried out in the autumn-winter time. The probability of seed germination is 70%.
Before planting, the seeds are stratified for 60 days by placing them in the planting soil, which consists of 70% peat and 30% river sand, maintaining values of 4-5 degrees. After this period, you will need to soak the seeds in warm water for 6-7 days. Sow them into a well-drained substrate, deepening one and a half centimeters. The soil can be taken from under the parent arbutus tree or you can use an earth mixture for palm trees, mixing perlite and vermiculite there. The container with the seedlings is covered with a piece of glass or wrapped in a plastic bag, then placed in a warm place (20-24 degrees), with shading. As soon as the soil dries up, it will be necessary to moisten it. The first shoots should appear in 2-3 months.
As soon as the plant grows up to 5 cm and develops 6–8 full-fledged leaves on the sprout, it is necessary to dive in separate containers. If you miss this moment and young arbutus grow up, then replanting them is no longer recommended - they will die.
For grafting, it is necessary to cut pieces 10 cm long from the tops of the branches. This operation is carried out at the end of summer and the cuttings are kept in the ground during the first winter in a greenhouse. As soon as the threat of morning frost on spring days passes, you can plant branches of arbutus in open ground at a permanent place of growth. If the stalk was taken from an old tree, then the probability of its living is very low.
Difficulty growing a plant
Most often, problems arise due to violation of the conditions of detention:
- If there is no flowering, then it is possible that the arbutus lacks lighting or the plant has not been sufficiently fed.
- When the browning of the tops of the foliage occurs, the leaf blade becomes completely brown in color and falls off, or the foliage withers and wilts to the moistened substrate, this indicates too dry air in the room or the soil has been flooded. In this case, the plant is carefully removed from the pot and inspected. If the root system has acquired a brown tint, it is slimy to the touch and smells sour or swamp, then you will need to remove these roots. Arbutus itself is recommended to be placed under a plastic bag or in greenhouse conditions until its appearance is fully restored.
Strawberry can be harmed by a spider mite, which settles on foliage, sucks out vital juices and envelops leaf plates and branches with a thin translucent cobweb. Leaves turn yellow, deform and fly around. If a pest is identified, it will be necessary to carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations. Sometimes the plant suffers from ants that, crawling along the bark, damage it.
Interesting facts about the strawberry tree
Sometimes you can hear the biblical name of arbutus - "the apple of Cain", this is due to the color of the strawberry fruits, as they resemble the drops of blood of the legendary Abel, whom brother Cain so mercilessly deprived of his life.
In Madrid, the "Strawberry Tree" has become a symbol of the aforementioned city - on their coat of arms, a bear eats the fruits of arbutus. His image can be seen on all municipal items in the city, which include sewer manholes, road signs, or city infrastructure.
Strawberry berries should not be abused, since eating a large number of them can get drunk and some have dizziness and headache. But if you cook jam, then this action is no longer manifested. Not only desserts are made from the berries of the strawberry tree, but also alcoholic beverages.
If you pick and dry the berries, then they will be usable within a year or two, and if you put them in an airtight container, then even more. They contain a large amount of ascorbic acid and vitamin B. Leaves and bark differ in tannin content, and it is he who gives the tart and astringent taste.
Arbutus wood casts a brownish-whitish tint, has high strength, it is heavy and is used to create turning or joinery products (furniture, crafts, boxes, watch cases, all kinds of souvenirs and other things). With the help of sheet plates and extracts from the bark, it has long been customary to tan leather. The resulting mixture can be used as a substitute for a brown colorant. Strawberry bark contains andromethoxin, and the plant itself is an excellent honey plant, only honey has an unusual bitter taste.
Almost all parts of Strawberry have found their application in pharmacology and medicine. Flower buds can be used to make a diaphoretic. And infusions and decoctions from roots, leaf plates and bark are used by traditional healers to treat diseases of the genitourinary system. When planting on a personal plot or greenhouse next to the arbutus, you can not place any more plantings, since the beauty of the plant is self-sufficient. However, it is often combined with low conifers or planted along hedges. But it is also natural that related plants from the Heather family also look very organic next to arbutus. A strawberry tree grows well next to rhododendrons. But most often grown in containers, bonsai are cultivated from Strawberry.
Types of arbutus
- Arbutus red (Arbutus andrachne) can often be found under the name Greek Strawberry (or small-fruited). The native habitat of growth is the eastern lands of the Mediterranean, the southern coasts of the Black Sea, as well as regions of the Caucasus and Asia Minor, where the strawberry tree loves to settle on dry calcareous soils. An adult tree can reach a height of 5 m (but there are also large specimens). The surface of the bark is smooth and its layer is thin; flaking occurs in June. The young bark that appears first has a green tint, then it will acquire a yellowish tone, and at the end of August it will show off with a coral color scheme. The leaf blades have elliptical outlines, measuring from 3 to 10 cm in length. Flower inflorescences are characterized by a panicle or racemose shape and extend by 10 cm in length. Small whitish flowers. The fruit is one and a half centimeters across and has an orange tint. The flowering process occurs in the middle of winter. It has been customary to cultivate in Russia since 1813.
- Common Arbutus (Arbutus unedo) or as it is customary to call it Large-fruited Strawberry. This is the most common variety. In natural conditions, it is found on the lands of Western Europe (the northern parts of France and Ireland are included here), as well as in some areas of the Mediterranean. In the United States, this variety has become very widespread, and it can also often be seen on the Crimean coast (SCC), where its height is measured in the range of 5-10 meters. The crown has the correct shape. The trunk is 80 cm in diameter. The color of the bark is dark, the surface is wrinkled. The leaf plates measure 5–12 cm in length. The length of the inflorescence panicles or brushes reaches 5 cm. The color of the flowers is white or pinkish, in shape they resemble lanterns or jugs. The berries are cast in a red tone; they often grow in diameter to 1–2, 2 cm.
This plant is known on the territory of Russia and has been successfully cultivated since the 19th century. Most often, this variety is grown on slopes with dry soil and high acidity. Differs in good frost resistance, but in very harsh winters it is prone to freezing. Therefore, in central Russia or the Moscow region, this variety is grown exclusively in closed ground, in greenhouse conditions or in rooms.
There are the following varieties:
- King of the Elves (Arbutus unedo Elfin King) - is a shrub-shaped plant with a regular crown;
- Oktoberfest (Arbutus unedo Oktoberfest) the variety was bred specifically for growing in containers.
These varieties of large-fruited and small-fruited arbutus differ in fruit taste. In large-fruited, it is sweeter and tastier, but this variety is also more demanding on growing conditions. Small-fruited grows well on dry soils.
- Arbutus menziesii (Arbutus menziesii) most often it can be found in natural conditions on the lands of North America, but as a culture it has been cultivated since 1827. In Russia, it can survive and bear fruit only on the southern coast of the Black Sea. The height of trees can reach 25 meters. The ebb of the bark is red-brown. The leaf plates are measured in length in the range of 5-16 cm. From the flowers are collected inflorescences in the form of pyramidal brushes, their length can approach 15 cm. Fruits ripen in orange-red tone. Flowering begins in late spring and fruits appear in early to mid-autumn.
- Hybrid form Arbutus Marina intended for cultivation in garden conditions. Its origin is vague and unknown. This variety has a smoother trunk and branches. Variety "Rubra" has a richer pink tint of flowers.
For more information on the strawberry tree, see here:
