Arbutus andrachne

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by sweetlemon, Oct 17, 2005.

  1. sweetlemon

    sweetlemon Member

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    Vancouver Island - Z8b
    I have seen 'Arbutus unedo' (the Portuguese Strawberry Tree) growing a lot here in Victoria, B.C., and of course our native Arbutus species, mensziesii, but I was wondering about the Greek Strawberry Tree, Arbutus andrachne. Have never seen this species for sale in nurseries, but looking it up online I see that it looks almost identical to our own Arbutus species. Would love to get ahold of a specimen if anyone knows how, or if anyone is growing this?

    I've heard there's also an Arizona Arbutus, as well as a Canary Islands variety. All of them are fairly similar with glossy evergreen leaves, peeling red bark, and red berries.
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Location:
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    The Woody Plant Collection in the Washington Park Arboretum (Center for Urban Horticulture, 1994) lists this and A. glandulosa, among the locally rare ones. Jacobson, Trees of Seattle (Sasquatch Books, 1989) says A. arizonica "has been grown at the arboretum and locks--but none are known to be alive in Seattle at present".

    THE PLANT LOCATOR - Western Region (Black-Eyed Susans/Timber, 2004) lists suppliers for AA. arizonica, x andrachnoides, canariensis, occidentalis and xalapensis, as well as common ones (including 'Marina', which may be from A. x andrachnoides x A. canariensis). Most of these PLANT LOCATOR listings were due to the offerings of Cistus nursery, near Portland, OR and Colvos Creek nursery, Vashon, WA, except for the A. x andrachnoides being made available by Steamboat Island nursery, Olympia, WA and Siskiyou Rare Plant nursery, Medford, OR providing A. occidentalis.
     

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