strawberry treeArbutus unedo
Ericaceae
Well, color my bark red, this is a different species than our native madrones (A. menziesii) that I've seen at Los Padres Dam and Mt. Madonna County Park. This strawberry tree is very popular here in Monterey and can be found in many city-maintained areas. The fruits, which are so bright they appear to be fake, stain the sidewalks when they drop. I'm interested in how the pink flowers and orange and red fruits can all be on the same tree at the same time. It's native to Europe.
ps 12/07/11 - To see these trees in their native habitat, check out Cittaslow Botanik Park in Turkey. There they call it Koca Yemiş.
pss 09/17/14 - Thanks to Abdülkadir Bekçi from Turkey, I started tasting the walnut-sized bright red berries. When ripe, they're very soft, moderately sweet, and somehow satisfying. I eat the whole thing, skin and all. I've found the ones that are picked in bright, hot sun to be the tastiest.
ps 12/07/11 - To see these trees in their native habitat, check out Cittaslow Botanik Park in Turkey. There they call it Koca Yemiş.
pss 09/17/14 - Thanks to Abdülkadir Bekçi from Turkey, I started tasting the walnut-sized bright red berries. When ripe, they're very soft, moderately sweet, and somehow satisfying. I eat the whole thing, skin and all. I've found the ones that are picked in bright, hot sun to be the tastiest.
3 comments:
Hey, I'm tree-tall, have red hair, and my name's Erica - I finally found some family!!! ;-) Many years ago, I worked at a wholesale tree nursery, and I remember that this was ordered a lot. Funny, given the staining fruits, but it's pretty.
Thanks for the laugh!
There are quite a few in my neighborhood in San Francisco. I always enjoy seeing them because they remind me of "real" madrones.
Post a Comment