Arbutus andrachne

The Arbutus andrachne, originating from Eastern Mediterranean regions, is a much less known bush than the Arbutus unedo which grows spontaneously in Mediterranean regions. Taking on a venerable appearance over time, this large bush or small evergreen tree is appreciated for its undeniable ornamental qualities, but also for its excellent adaptation to dry climates and limestone soils. Its beautifully varnished foliage highlights its spring flowering rather than autumnal, with white bell-shaped flowers, as well as its edible fruits resembling strawberries. The Cypriot strawberry tree is distinguished above all by its superb red-orange and pistachio green bark. An excellent alternative to the Arbutus unedo in clay-limestone soil, this sumptuous strawberry tree is a champion of sobriety and frugality! 

The Arbutus andrachne, sometimes called Greek Strawberry Tree, originates from the eastern Mediterranean basin, mainly from Greece and Turkey. It is also found in an area ranging from southern Albania to Crimea to northern Iraq, passing through the Black Sea coast and Lebanon. This small tree belongs to the heather family, just like heathers. It is a species that grows spontaneously on limestone soil and is capable of flowering and bearing fruit from seven years of age.

The andrachne strawberry tree slowly but surely forms a small tree with several short trunks, branched with ascending, twisted branches. The crown is bushy and spreading. At maturity, this Arbutus will reach an average height of 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in) with a spread of 4 m (13 ft 1 in). The bark of this tree, in perpetual mutation, is remarkable: it is brown-orange in colour and peels off in large flakes, revealing a new smooth, shiny skin of a colour resembling blood, especially when wet. Later on, this new skin also peels off, revealing a pistachio green bark that then turns orange-brown.  

The evergreen, lanceolate, 6 to 9 cm (2.4 to 3.5 in)-long leaves have indented edges and are of a medium green colour, shiny on the upper side. The young shoots take on beautiful bronze tones in winter. They are arranged alternately, helically around the stems. In this species, flowering takes place from January to March. The honey-scented flowers are white, sometimes with a touch of green or pale pink, and measure 7 mm (0.3 in) in diameter. They resemble lily-of-the-valley bells and are grouped in terminal pendulous clusters. In autumn, they give way to small yellow, then red, round fruits that resemble strawberries, 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, edible but with a rough texture and not very pallatable. 

The root system of this small tree is taprooted, capable of sinking very deeply into the soil in search of moisture. It does not tolerate being transplanted, especially if already mature. The Cypriot strawberry tree is a plant well adapted to summer drought whose seeds easily germinate after the land has been burnt.

Hardy down to -12°C (-15°C according to some gardeners), the Arbutus andrachne grows in nature in well-drained, generally poor, rocky, limestone soil. This bush easily adapts to ordinary garden soil (even slightly acidic), as long as the drainage is satisfactory. This botanical species, endowed with quite a spectacular appearance, renews the genus and allows for a longer flowering duration in mixed hedges. It is valuable for constituting the persistent structure of a small free hedge, but also makes for a truly astonishing specimen when placed in isolation. Disdained by pests and diseases, its only weakness is a relative hardiness that reserves it, when planted in the ground, for light soils and not too harsh winters.

The Arbutus andrachne has given rise to the Arbutus x andrachnoides through hybridisation with the unedo species, renowned for the beauty of its bark, more or less resembling one of its parents depending on the clone.