Anybody Successfully plant a Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Marina)
Ethan Richards
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Does anybody here grow strawberries?
Comments (6)I grew a bunch of strawberry plants in a dedicated patio bed a few years ago. I had to keep them covered with fruit tree netting to keep the birds and lizards off, and that also seemed to help shade them in the hot part of the day. I planted in early Feb and harvested from March to June, then everything died regardless. I want to do it again, because they were the best strawberries I ever tasted. My DH has promised to build me a greenhouse with materials that the former owner of our place left, but I am sure it wont be ready to go until maybe this fall. So no strawberries this year for me, unless I plant a few pots on the screened porch. Those I can take inside when the heat is really blazing. I live outside Buckeye....See MoreArbutus Marina aka Strawberry Tree Yellowing Leaves
Comments (10)It is also the nature of this tree species to drop older leaves after they yellow, as they are pushing new growth this time of year. If the newest tip growth is not wilted, and they yellowing of foliage is only the older, lower leaves, it is probably adjusting to your site. It may have seen less sun at the nursery, so is under more moisture stress now that it is planted out, and presumably getting more sun. The critical thing with Arbutus 'Marina' is to make sure you gave it excellent drainage, and that it is not sitting in water at the base of the root ball. You should probably also use the hose once a week to give it a good slow soak to thoroughly wet the entire root ball, as conventional spray irrigation run times aren't going to be long enough to wet the soil down to the 2 foot depth of the root ball. It is a beautiful tree, and much easier to grow than the true native Arbutus menziesii, I hope yours recover....See Morearbutus marina - cousin of strawberry tree
Comments (6)Chaste tree and other grayleaf plants would be less harmonious than others in similar shades of green to what you have listed as being in the planting already. I'd look into Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), California lilac (Ceanothus)--these come in both tall and low--green leaved species of rockrose (Cistus), green leaved cultivars of sunrose (Helianthemum), things like that. Except for the buckthorn these all have plenty of flower power. And you can get the buckthorn in a white variegated version that might be quite pleasing with the pinkish color of the 'Marina' flowers. If you are near Seattle you can see Italian buckthorn in the hedge south of the parking at Good Shepherd Center (along with Viburnum tinus, another candidate to consider) or in the corner farthest from the entrance to Greenlake P.C.C. (near the black locust trees)....See Morearbutus marina
Comments (43)The Bremerton acacia shows signs of having frozen to the ground in the past and is of interest precisely because it is just about the only persisting one of much size known in the area. It is exceptional, like the azara in the UW Friendship Grove and the 50' eucryphia near Brian's place in Bremerton. Many others will have been planted elsewhere and frozen out in time. The late J. Witt of the Washington Park Arboretum once told me that there used to be a 50' eucryphia in a garden next door in the Broadmoor Golf and Country Club (most likely planted in the D. Graham garden) but it died in the awful 1955 freeze. An obvious difference between the two sites would be that the Broadmoor location is some miles from salt water, whereas the Bremerton site is quite close. If you are close to the beach the salt water keeps your minimum temperatures higher enough than even areas father inland but close by to make a difference in what you can overwinter. A cottage on Vashon just behind the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry dock has had a tall conspicuous abutilon for years. Even though this is a north exposure, apparently the salt water is keeping it from freezing out. I think I noticed it was still there during a recent visit even after this last winter, although the proof will of course be if it is seen blooming and full again this summer. One of the better embothriums I've seen was growing right behind the beach along a quite inlet west of Tacoma. It was the first bit of plant life behind the cobbles and sand, and was leaning towards the water as though responding to its proximity....See MoreEthan Richards
2 years ago
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
2 years ago
davidrt28 (zone 7)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoEthan Richards
2 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
2 years agoEthan Richards
2 years ago
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Embothrium