Strawberry Tree
Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha
Lovely pictures, Phillip, beautiful autumn colors, but the sage/yucca combination is striking! I would never thought of putting them together. Just great!
ReplyDeleteI had a Fothergilla at my previous garden and just loved it. Thank you for reminding me why I need another one.
ReplyDeleteFabulous pictures!
Love the fothergilla! I think a lot of people are confused about burning bush as an invasive. It's listed here in TN. I do get a lot of hits from Google about it.
ReplyDeleteLovely Phillip. I always admire the burning bush but it has been so overused in landscaping... yours looks stunning however... I love the color and yours looks to have berries too.
ReplyDeleteI thought everyone already new burning bush! Funny that you should get so many questions about it.
ReplyDeleteYour Fothergilla is beautiful. I really must try that shrub.
ReplyDeleteHi Phillip, Regional differences (and similarities) fascinate me! I too love fothergilla (check out my photo here)--it is indeed wonderful in all seasons and I'm glad mine will get so much taller over time, based on the height of yours. It's not commonly grown here, but it's certainly hardy. On the other hand, burning bush is very very common here, so much so that most people (even on gardeners) can ID it, kind of like tulips and dandelions! I was shocked you get so many emails about it... but maybe they're not from locals?
ReplyDeleteum... "on gardeners" should have been "non gardeners" but you probably worked that out!
ReplyDeleteKeep the visual feast coming please.
ReplyDeleteI would so like to visit your garden Phillip
I have a dwarf Fothergilla. It's just as pretty but takes up less space.
ReplyDeleteYou do a marvelous job of layering your plantings Phillip~~Your color and textural combinations zing! Gail
ReplyDeleteYour photos are spectacular..and so is your garden. My partner and I just moved into our half acre home last July. Hopefully one day, our landscaping will look as nice as yours!
ReplyDeleteNice photos, Phillip. Interesting that so many have an interest in Euonymous. It is a beauty all right but I always try to steer people towards Nandina instead because of its year round red green foliage and red berry sprays. Love the yucca and sage. Very nice.
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