Arbutus x andrachnoides
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −12.2 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a lime-free nutrient-rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in a sunny position with shelter from cold drying winds, especially when young. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. A naturally occurring hybrid between A. unedo and A. andrachne. Trees rarely produce fruit in Britain. Plants resent root disturbance and are best placed in their final positions whilst young. Give them some protection in their first winter. Plants sometimes flower in the spring, but more usually in the late autumn and early winter.
Propagation
Seed - best surface sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be soaked for 5 - 6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a shady position in a greenhouse, they are best transplanted to individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should be kept well ventilated. Grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts[K]. This species is a hybrid and is unlikely to breed true from seed. Basal cuttings in late winter. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November/December in a frame. Poor percentage. Layering of young wood - can take 2 years.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw[K]. A pleasant texture with a sweet but delicate flavour, the fruit is considered to be insipid by many people[K]. Very similar in size and taste to the strawberry tree, A. unedo[K], though it is not usually borne very freely.
Habitat
Not known
Native range
S.E. Europe to W. Asia.