Killarney Strawberry (Arbutus unedo). No one knows how the Killarney
strawberry, a native of the Mediterranean, spread to Ireland and the
shores of Lake Killarney, though one ancient folk tale claims that it grew
as a miracle for a Spanish monk longing for his home in Spain. At any
rate, the evergreen tree strawberry, as it's also called, is an attractive
ornamental up to 20 feet tall that bears juicy,
orange-red, strawberrylike fruit about 3/4 inch in diameter.
Unfortunately, these strawberries have survived temperatures of -20*F.,
yet they are not recommended for areas far north because
they will not fruit well in colder climates.
The tree strawberry thrives in light, well-drained, sandy or peaty soil, a
location sheltered from wind, and does not like a humid climate. It can be
propagated by seed sown under glass in March, or by cuttings of partially
ripe wood taken in the fall and grown under glass. The Killarney
strawberry may not be a great fruit to eat, but it is a great curiosity.
Its white flowers, which look like lily of the valley, take a full year to
develop into fruit, ripening in the autumn just when the tree is flowering
again--so that flowers and fruit are on the tree at the same time!
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