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
Beautiful gardens, Phillip, thanks for taking us along. Like you, I want to see more.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful gardens. The rain was nice but it could have waited until night when we were sleeping. Sheesh! :)
ReplyDeleteThe yellow foliage sure shows up during a downpour. All of these gardens have spectacular plants. I am having climbing rose envy right now. Lovely. I can't wait to see more. Tell Michael he is a good soldier. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteOpen garden days are awesome. We went to a couple when we first moved to Nashville, but sadly the events seem to have ceased in the past ~ 5 years...
ReplyDeleteI loved the succulent collection on the shelf of the first garden, and the shady plant area by the stone steps of the second. Garden visits this time of year are so inspiring !
ReplyDeleteMore fabulous gardens! I'm hoping that once school is out for the summer, I'll have a bit more time to visit open gardens in our area.
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