DESCRIPTION:

The Strawberry Tree is an evergreen shrub with a brown bark that flakes off. It has oblong, lanceolate, dentate leaves, similar to those of the Oleander. At the end of the Summer, it produces countless small white flowers, in some varieties with red or green hues, and bell-shaped; In the same time span, its fruits ripen (so it almost takes a whole year for them to do it). This is the very distinctive feature of this plant: it can have flowers and ripen fruits simultaneously.

The fruits are rounded, yellow-red, and sweet, they have a slightly wrinkled peel and when they are fully ripen they tend to fall down the tree.

The Strawberry tree belongs to the Ericaceae family, and is native to the Mediterranean region, to Ireland, to Asia and to the Americas. The bark of the tree is reddish and tends to get darker as it grows older.

WEATHER RESISTANCE:

Under the right weather conditions, the Strawberry Tree is flexible: it can grow both when fully exposed to sunlight and in shady positions (e.g. under maritime pines). If it is cultivated in the North, we recommend positioning it in a warmer area facing South, making sure it is sheltered from cold currents in Winter (which could dry up branches and cause damages to flowers and leaves, thus jeopardizing fructification).

This tree doesn’t need much water, and undoubtedly prefers draught to excessive watering; it must be watered only in case of particularly dry years. We recommend putting some compost at the base of the plant in Spring, in order to enhance its development at best.