lower wilderness Archives - Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens https://www.castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk/tag/lower-wilderness/ 18th Century Formal Gardens and Local Nature Reserve Parkland (Grade2*) Mon, 20 Nov 2017 09:41:50 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 The Strawberry Tree https://www.castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk/2017/11/20/the-strawberry-tree/ Mon, 20 Nov 2017 09:41:50 +0000 http://castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk/?p=2806   The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) is a easy tree or shrub to identify, having both flowers and fruit present at the same time. The strawberry (or I think more…

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]]>   The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) is a easy tree or shrub to identify, having both flowers and fruit present at the same time. The strawberry (or I think more like lychee) like fruit take up to a year to ripen, so as last year’s fruits turn red, the flowers that will form next year’s fruit start to appear. The fruit is said to be edible, although not very tasty, which may be hinted at in it’s Latin name ‘unedo‘; coming from unum edo ‘I eat one’ – meaning after you have eaten one you wouldn’t want another one? Having not yet tried one I couldn’t say! Which is good news for the birds, leaving plenty of fruit for them to feast on during the colder months.

A member of the Ericaceae family of plants, most commonly known as heather, the flowers bear a strong resemblance to those of heathers, with bell-like downward facing flowers in small clusters.

You may have also seen this plant in a well known Morris & Co. design, used in fabrics and wallpapers where you can clearly see the red fruits and white flowers.

Have a wander down to the Lower Wilderness to have a closer look at these interesting plants..

 

 

 

 

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