Of Strings & Green Things: C.A.T. #2

Arbutus 'marina'. In fact, we could really just make it the whole lot of Arbutus species. . . but before I get ahead of myself, here's the story.

My interest was sparked by the lovely specimens they have in the Mediterranean garden in the conservatory here at Longwood.

(on the left in both)

I was wheeling a 5' hanging basket of begonias to the Acacia Passage when the red bark caught my eye. On the way back I found the label and committed it to memory for googling after work ( I knew it sounded/looked familiar. . . I just couldn't quite place it. . . )

6 1/2 hours later I had made an important discovery. Arbutus 'marina' (strawberry madrone) is cousin (more like great nephew) to Arbutus menziesii, or more commonly, Pacific madrone!

My love of madrones is the heart and soul of my deep obsession with the native plants of the Pacific Northwest. They don't grow up near the Cascades where I live, but drive 20 minutes west and they're everywhere, and I love it.

5 more minutes of effective googling and I came upon an even better discovery. Both pacific madrones and strawberry madrones are related to Arbutus unedo, or the strawberry tree, which happens to get fruit that looks like this:

Did you know I've been wanting to ID this plant since I saw it at the Woodland Park Zoo nearly 9 years ago!?! Granted I haven't been combing through tree books, or googling "round red fruit, evergreen tree", or racking the brains of the brightest and best in tree ID. . . but it's been at the back of my mind all this time. And now I know it! (that is one of the most satisfying feelings a plant enthusiast can have, for all of you who are wondering "why is she using so many "!'s". . ? "). I think that the fruit is pretty similar between the three of them, but I'm not sure.

And just in case you were also wondering (because I know you were) the bark is even better than the fruit! Not to eat though. I don't think either is very palatable. . .