Arbutus Marina

Arbutus Marina is a variety of hybrid strawberry tree that is among the best, both for its quite exceptional ornamental qualities and for its performance in the garden. With a sumptuous changing-coloured bark that perfectly complements its beautifully twisted habit, this very beautiful shrub is adorned with a winter flowering of generous clusters of small pink-tinted bells that coexist with large red fruits, at a time of year when colours are rare in the garden. Flowers and fruits animate an elegant, evergreen foliage. 'Marina' is while sumptuous, but not the most hardy. This strawberry tree can be grown in mild regions, in any well-drained soil.

Arbutus Marina, discovered by chance in a garden in San Francisco, is likely the result of the hybridisation of the Arbutus andrachnoides, from which it inherits its beautiful bark, and an A. canariensis, which has passed on its large fruits. Arbutus x andrachnoides, on the other hand, is the result of the cross-breeding between Arbutus andrachne (the Cypriot strawberry tree) and the unedo species. All these strawberry trees are native to the Mediterranean Basin, and they belong to the ericaceae family, just like heathers and pieris. Arbutus Marina is capable of flowering and fruiting from a young age. The hardiness of this hybrid is debateable, reliable sources claim it can withstand short frosts of around -10°C in well-drained soil, but its young shoots can be damaged from -6/-7°C onwards.

The Marina strawberry tree slowly but surely forms a small tree with several short trunks, branching into ascending, twisted branches. The crown is bushy and slightly spreading. At maturity, this Arbutus will reach an average height of 5m with a spread of 3.50m, sometimes more depending on the growing conditions. The ever-changing bark of this tree is remarkable: it is brown-cinnamon in colour and peels off in large flakes, revealing a new smooth, mahogany colour skin. Later on, this new skin peels off in turn, revealing a bark that is pistachio green to olive, which then turns orange-brown.

The evergreen lanceolate, 6 to 9 cm long leaves have toothed edges and are quite dark green, shiny on the upper surface. The young shoots take on pretty orange to bronze hues in spring. They are arranged alternately, in a helix around the stems. In this species, flowering occurs from September-October to December-January. The honey-scented flowers are white with distinct touches of brick pink and measure 7mm in diameter. They resemble lily-of-the-valley bells and are grouped in particularly long pendulous terminal clusters. They give way to pretty yellow balls, then red, resembling strawberries, 4 cm in diameter, edible but with a rough texture and not much flavour. Flowers and 1-year-old fruits often coexist on the inflorescence.

The root system of this small tree is taproot-type, capable of sinking very deep into the soil in search of moisture. It does not like being transplantated, especially  already mature subjects. The Marina strawberry tree is very well adapted to summer drought.

In mild climates, Arbutus Marina easily acclimates to the garden, in ordinary soil (even slightly acidic or slightly alkaline), but dislikes having its roots in constantly waterlogged soil. This variety, with its quite extraordinary sculptural design, renews the genre and charmingly extends the flowering period of a mixed hedge while providing food for bees and birds at a time of year when resources are scarce. It is valuable for creating the persistent structure of a small infoemal hedge, along with Garrya elliptica and Rhamnus alaternus Variegatus, for example, but also forms a truly astonishing specimen when placed in isolation. Ignored by pests and diseases, it will bring a very personal touch to a natural, dry, exotic, or even Japanese-inspired garden.