Re: Arbutus unedo wrong information
- Subject: Re: Arbutus unedo wrong information
- From: b* l* <b*@yahoo.com>
- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 15:54:30 -0800 (PST)
If deer are desperate, they will eat the leaves.
Especially if you've got a tree that has new leaves
and short enough for them to reach. A few deer at the
UCBG pretty much defoliated one A. unedo when I worked
there. These plants were just over 1 year old, so the
leaves were tender enough. I was shocked to see that
much damage--they did it while I was vacationing in
the Mediterranean no less!
I can't say that their fruits are particularly
interesting in flavor. I prefer the lychee or longans
I can find at Asian markets.
bridget
in cloudy Seattle
--- Diane Whitehead <voltaire@islandnet.com> wrote:
> I'm surprised at the misinformation I am finding on
> the web about
> Arbutus unedo.
>
> This is a large shrub that flowers all winter and is
> very popular
> with hummingbirds. I never water mine and insects
> and deer have never
> touched it. Yet here is part of an information
> window about it, and
> about the only true part is that it has orange-red
> berries. Oh, and
> probably the part about intolerance of high
> humidity, but I don't
> know that personally. Maybe 'no' is the default
> setting.
>
http://www.crescentbloom.com/Plants/Specimen/AO/Arbutus%20unedo.htm
>
> Special qualities
> Tolerates drought no Tolerates high humidity no
> Tolerates seaside
> conditions no Insect resistant no Disease
> resistant no Deer
> resistant no Best uses Symbiosis Attracts
> butterflies no
> Attracts hummingbirds no Autumn foliage no
> Colorful berries yes
> Desirable qualities Other interest orange-red
> berries Other
> interest color Other interest period
>
> On to the berries:
>
> Long ago I read that 'unedo' means 'eat one' because
> no one would
> eat a second. It rarely fruits here, so I never had
> a chance to
> check. I did see a lot of fruit last month in
> northern California.
> In Napa, they were dropping on the ground, so I
> tried one which was
> juicy and pleasant. It tasted as good as most
> tropical fruits ( only
> the distinctly flavoured tropicals get shipped -
> most are sweet and
> bland.)
>
> I don't know why writers in the U.K. say they taste
> unpleasant.
>
http://www.british-trees.com/guide/strawberrytree.htm
>
> --
> Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
> maritime zone 8
> cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter
> - 68 cm annually)
> sandy soil
>
>
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