Plant types

Plant styles

Planting conditions

Seasonal interest

Nurseries & Gardens

Photo by Danger Garden

Show all photos

Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

Also Known As

Compact Strawberry Tree
Irish Strawberry Tree
Strawberry Tree

Plant type

tree, shrub

size

H: 4'-10'
W: 4'-10'

planting zones

7a-11

More Options

Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' plant details

Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' is a moderate-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub or tree with green foliage. In fall and winter pink and white flowers emerge followed by orange and red fruit. Attracts bees, birds and hummingbirds making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and occasional - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers to be dry in summer. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in average, clay, gritty, lean and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant, pollution tolerant and seaside / salt tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

Plant type: shrub or tree
Plant family: ericaceae
Foliage: evergreen green
Mature size: 4 FT - 10 FT - wide, 4 FT - 10 FT - tall
Flowers: pink and white blooms in fall and winter
Uses: compact, distinctive bark, hedge, red stems, winter interest, year round interest

GROWING CONDITIONS for Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

USDA Zones: 7a - 11
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: occasional - low
Resistant to: deer, heat, pollution and seaside / salt
Soil needs: average, clay, gritty, lean and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Good looking all year! This cultivar creates a more compact upright shrub from 6-10'. It is perfect for containers or tighter quarters, with its shiny bright-green leaves and attractive cinnamon colored bark. A profusion of lovely white urn-shaped in flowers in autumn are followed by large rough-skinned bright red edible fruits. Also a great choice for pollinator gardens as it is attractive to hummingbirds and bees. S/M-D/GDr For more detailed information, please see our blog post: Arbutus - The Delightful Strawberry Tree

By: Forestfarm

Evergreen shrub to 6’ high and wide in about 10 years; coppery bark, light pinkish white urn flowers in clusters from fall to early winter; marble size, round fruits that start yellow and ripen to orange red (edible but only if you are starving). Handsome foliage is dark green. This Madrone/Manzanita relative is easier to grow than others in this group. Dense enough for screening and wildlife refuge, but also a great candidate for specimen pruning. Well-drained soil, sun to light shade; protected location if annual fruit is desired.

By: Secret Garden Growers

This dense shrub is serviceable in that it does nearly everything, and beautiful in that it does it well! It has evergreen, glossy, lance-shaped leaves, cinnamon bark, clusters of urn-shaped white flowers, and very attractive one-inch globose fruits (edible but usually pithy and bland, but I still like them because sometimes the darkest red ones can be very sweet and jam-like). Flower and fruit (light green, yellow, orange, and red) will adorn the shrub simultaneously in autumn! Birds and bees appreciate it, it's drought-tolerant, and it makes a good screen successfully blocking from view even a turquoise house! 6 -8' tall, 5 -6' wide. Minimum temperature: 0?F

By: Dancing Oaks Nursery

A slow growing shrub with leathery dark green leaves. The late fall blooms are white, urn shaped and held in 2" long clusters. The strawberry like orange-red fruit ripens in the fall. Takes drought and poor soils. Growth Rate slow to medium

By: Garden World

Distinctive, gracefully branched shrub or small tree with glossy, deep green foliage. Masses of white flowers are followed by showy strawberry-like fruit. Drought tolerant when established. An easy, drought tolerant specimen for borders or massed as an informal hedge. Evergreen.

By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

Same as A. unedo, but to only 8' tall.

By: Native Sons

A rather compact-growing strawberry tree, to only 5-6 ft tall and wide in 10 years, eventually 10 ft or so, with small white-blushed-pink flowers in autumn, followed by bright orange-red fruits -- edible alone and tasty in preserves. Foliage is evergreen on red twigs and bark is handsome -- reddish, rough and shreddy. Full sun to dappled shade with good drainage and little summer water once established. Cold hardy in USDA zone 7.

By: Cistus Nursery

A dwarf version of the strawberry tree, which ordinarily grows 15' tall or more. It has the same rich, red-brown, flaky bark, white urn-shaped flowers in late autumn, and striking strawberry-like fruit in fall and winter, but grows just 4' x 4'. Tolerates dry soil.

By: Briggs Plant Propagators

10' shrub that will have deep green, evergreen foliage. In fall, the small white urn-shaped flowers cover the plant. At the same time the flowers appear, the fruit from last years flowers show up in red clusters.

By: Gossler Farms

Garden photo gallery of Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

Photo of Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' flower, fruit by Danger Garden

By: Danger Garden

By: plant lust

By: Kenpei

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

View Original Photo

Photo of Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' flower by Cistus Nursery

View Full Size

By: Cistus Nursery

View Original Photo

Gardening facts about Arbutus unedo 'Compacta' plant

How to Grow Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

Sun Exposure
- sun - mostly sun
Water Needs
- occasional - drought tolerant
Water Needs
- dry in summer
Soil Needs
- clay
- adaptable
- average
- lean
- well-drained
- gritty
Special Situation
- heat tolerant
- pollution tolerant
- seaside / salt tolerant