Strawberry tree
Arbutus unedo
- Layer 2 · Understorey
- Edible companion
Status by region
No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.
Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).
Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.
About
Native to the Mediterranean basin and western Europe, the strawberry tree is a highly drought-resistant evergreen shrub or small tree. In a food forest, it plays the role of understorey or a windbreak hedge, offering fruit in autumn and an important source of late nectar for bees.
See the guild for a strawberry tree on your land
Tell us where your land is and we'll show the companion plants that grow well with this tree.
No account needed.
Needs
- Water: Low
- Light: Full sun
- Size: Small tree up to 4 m
- Mature diameter: 3 m
- Soils: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Limestone
- Climates: Atlantic coast, Hot, dry Mediterranean
Calendar
- January — Planting
- February — Planting
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October — Harvest — Planting
- November — Harvest — Planting
- December — Harvest — Planting
- Harvest
- Planting
Medicinal use: The leaves possess astringent and urinary antiseptic properties.
Where to buy
Related plants
Other species in the same layer or with the same function.
See the guild for a strawberry tree on your land
Tell us where your land is and we'll show the companion plants that grow well with this tree.
No account needed.
Not ready to map your land yet?
Get the free mini-guide to starting an edible forest.