Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo
Fruit of Arbutus unedo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Arbutus
Species:	A. unedo
Binomial name
Arbutus unedo L. 1753
Distribution map. Explanation:      Native range. ✖ Isolated population. ▲ Introduced and naturalized (synanthropic).
Synonyms
Synonymy Unedo edulis Hoffmanns. Arbutus vulgaris Bubani Arbutus cassinifolia Steud. Arbutus crispa Hoffmanns. Arbutus croomii auct. Arbutus integrifolia Sims Arbutus intermedia Heldr. ex Nyman Arbutus laurifolia L.f. Arbutus microphylla auct. Arbutus nothocomaros Heldr. ex Nyman Arbutus procumbens Kluk ex Besser Arbutus salicifolia (Lodd.) Cels ex Hoffmanns. Arbutus serratifolia Salisb. Arbutus turbinata Pers. ex Rchb.

Strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) are widely planted as ornamentals in the Bay Area, seeming to do just as well as or even better than their wild cousins Arbutus menziesii (the madrone). Many people have disparaged the fruit's texture and flavor, and even the species name is said to come from "unum edo", Latin for "I eat [just] one". Keenan thinks that when truly ripe (meaning deep, almost purplish-red, and quite soft), they are delicious, similar to apricot preserves. The seeds tend to get stuck in one's teeth but it's worth it for the delicious flavored fruits, which are often quite abundant on the tree.

Acknowledgements

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Arbutus unedo, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.