Arbutus unedo
Also known as the "autumn strawberry", it belongs to the family Ericaceae and is distributed throughout the Mediterranean Basin, almost all of the Iberian Peninsula and the southwestern and northwestern of Ireland.
It is an evergreen shrub that can reach a height of about 20 m.
The Strawberry Tree has a great resistance to dryness of the soil and the air, and high summer temperatures.
It is a rustic shrub that grows well in most soils, even in poor, deteriorated or saline soils.
It requires plenty of natural light and gets best results when grown in full sun all year.
The harvest of its fruit starts in october and extens into early winter.
It is a native plant of the Mediterranean region and Western Europe.
In Portugal, it can be found all over the country, but the highest concentration occurs in the Caldeirão and Monchique mountains.
It's fruit is formed at the end of autumn, ripening until autumn of the following year.
The strawberry tree has a much apreciated fruit, being used in the production of aguardente, a typical regional product from Algarve.
It is also used for the production of honey, and its leaves and and bark contain tannins that are used for tanning hides.
This plant is also used for medicinal purposes due to its antiseptic effects, and as an ornamental plant for its white or slightly pink flowers.
