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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

Golden Spirit Smoke Tree

Golden Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria 'Ancot')

 
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Lovely! I tried a burgundy smoke tree here, because it's supposed to be deer resistant. Nope. They loved it!

    Your Golden Spirit is gorgeous.

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  2. A handsome shrub. I bet it shines in the morning light.

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  3. Awwwwwwwww it makes me miss my purple one. :0(

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  4. There's no other tree I love that the Cotinus smoke tree! The red colored ones are gorgeous. We've tried growing them and we have such drought conditions they do not do very well here.
    The smoke trees are native to Tennessee yet we can not seem to get the seeds to germinate and come up. If anyone has any tips or ideas on hoe to cold, heat or wet stratify these in zone 7 Id sure be interested.

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