Strawberry tree

Arbutus unedo fruit   Ripe and unripe fruits and flowers   Flowers   Arbutus tree near Bayda in Libya   Fruit Arbutus unedo grows to 5–10 m (16–33 ft) tall, rarely up to 15 m (49 ft), with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm (31 in). It grows in hardiness zones 7–10. The leaves are dark green and glossy, 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) broad, with a serrated margin. The hermaphrodite flowers are white (rarely pale pink), bell-shaped, 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) diameter, produced panicles of 10–30 together in autumn. They are pollinated by bees, and have a mild sweet scent. The fruit is a red berry, 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, with a rough surface. It matures in about 12 months, in autumn, at the same time as the next flowering. It is edible; the fruit is sweet when reddish. Seeds are often dispersed by frugivorous birds.The name unedo is attributed to Pliny the Elder, who allegedly claimed that "unum tantum edo", meaning "I eat only one". It is not known whether he meant that the fruit was so good he could eat only one, or whether he meant that the fruit was uninteresting so he ate only one.