Scientific name: Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’
Family: ERICACEAE
Common names: “Dwarf strawberry tree”
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub, can be trained into a small tree
Conditions:
Zone: 7-9
Light: Full sun – light open shade
Exposure: Sheltered, handles seaside conditions
Soil: Moderately fertile – less
Moisture: Any well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 6′ W 5-6′
Leaf and Stem shape: Glossy broad leathery leaves
Flower: Small, bell-shaped creamy-white or pink flowers, and red, strawberry-like fruits in autumn
Pruning: Cut out DDD’s, will return from a very hard pruning
Maintenance: Low, don’t dig around them, deep taproots don’t tolerate transplanting, water and fertilize for lustrous foliage and when establishing
Landscape use: Coastal cottage, containers, Mediterranean climate plants,
Propagate: By cuttings
Pests & Disease: Can get arbutus leaf spot
*Deer resistant in some places
Comments: Edible berries, take a full year to mature, new flowers bloom at the same time as last years fruit has ripened, attracts bees and pollinators
Cultivars: ~AGM winner: A. u. ‘Atlantic’