• Common name: Strawberry tree
• Scientific name: Arbutus unedo, L.
• Honorary Doctorate: Enrique Dacosta Vadillo (June 27, 2013), Fred Wudl (January 26, 2023)

ORIGIN: Mediterranean region.

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Small evergreen tree with a reddish trunk and charming spherical fruits.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• Despite being native to Spain, in the Canary Islands it is included in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species.
• It was a sacred tree for the Romans.
• The strawberry tree, along with a bear resting on its front paws, appears on the coat of arms of Madrid.

USES:

• ORNAMENTAL: Due to the colorful yellow, orange, and red berries.
• FOOD: Its fruits are used to make jams, preserves, and to obtain alcoholic beverages through fermentation, such as Alicante strawberry tree liqueur.
• MEDICINAL: Its bark has been used in natural medicine as a diuretic, astringent, and urinary and renal antiseptic.