17/09/2026
Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) is valuable for both wildlife and climate resilience, especially when planted alongside Malus domestica (apple trees), Rubus fruticosus (blackberries) and Rosa 'Geranium'. Here's everything you need to know about it:
🍓 By flowering and fruiting when many other plants are winding down, the strawberry tree helps extend the availability of food for wildlife.
🍓 Its dense evergreen canopy provides year-round shelter from harsh weather and protection from predators for birds and beneficial insects.
🍓 Its multi-season structure creates valuable nesting, roosting and overwintering habitat within gardens and landscapes.
🍓 Clusters of small, bell-shaped white flowers appear in autumn and early winter, providing an important nectar source for bees and other pollinating insects when few other plants are in bloom. These flowers can support late-season pollinators preparing for winter, as well as those active during mild autumn weather.
🍓 Strawberry trees perform best in full sun or light shade, prefer well-drained soil and tolerate a range of soil types, including slightly acidic and neutral conditions. Their tolerance of heat and drought makes them increasingly valuable in gardens adapting to a changing climate.
Find out more about boosting wildlife in your garden by growing Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree): https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/1473/arbutus-unedo/details
