Growing Tips

All three species grow wild in Greece, often on the edge of olive groves close to the sea, and the hardier pair make excellent specimens for temperate coastal gardens in Britain, wherever the soil is well-drained.

The heather-like flowers indicate that strawberry trees are ericaceous. Often members of this family require acid soil, but these are lime-tolerant and chalk friendly. However, a lovely American species with a wonderful red-brown and pistachio-green trunk, A. menziesii, is an acid lover. Commonly called the madrona, this forms a large tree.

Strawberry trees are best planted young because they resent disturbance. Sun and warmth are essential, so choose a sheltered position in well-drained soil away from frost pockets. Never allow waterlogging. Plant in spring where possible, to allow the plant several months to acclimatise before winter sets in. Be prepared to cosset your young plant through its first few winters by covering it with a fleece liner in extremely cold weather.

As it matures, it will become hardier. Pruning prevents fruit setting as the “strawberries” are formed from the previous year’s flowers. Early summer is the time to cut back any long stems. Seed can be sown into sand but the resulting plants will vary. Better to take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer. These will root in a heated propagator.