Marina strawberry tree

Arbutus ‘Marina’

Description

The Marina strawberry tree easily grows into a handsome evergreen tree, capable of reaching 24-40 ft. tall and 20-25 ft. wide. It has rich dark green 3-4 in. long leaves, with lightly toothed margins. Pendulous clusters of attractive pink to rose colored flowers occur in spring and summer; showy reddish orange strawberry-like fruit mature in fall.

This tree is of unknown parentage and was discovered in San Francisco in 1984. It’s combination of foliage, flower, bark and fruit character became quickly recognized and appreciated. In a very few years it has become one of the most popular choices for landscape and garden uses throughout California’s coastal, inland and valley communities, including the Inland Empire. It grows best in our drier and warmer conditions of southern California in well-drained soils with regular moisture throughout the year. It is grown in nurseries with a single trunk or with a low branching habit to make it well suited for yards, patios and in raised planters.

Plant Type: Tree
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Low-branching, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Season: Winter
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun, Partial sun
Function: Wildlife value, Specimen, Hummingbird plant, Flowering accent plant
Height: 20 ft. – 30 ft.
Width: 15 ft. – 20 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.