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| Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud |
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Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree) |
Arbutus unedo (ERICACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.
Website launch: Oct-2002
Taxonomic update: Aug-2026
Code update: Jul-2026 |
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| Nomenclature and General Information |
Species name : |
Arbutus unedoL.
Published in Sp. Pl. : 395 (1753) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Ericaceae Juss. (The Heath Family)
2 species from the Ericaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Strawberry Tree, Arbutus |
Maltese name(s) : |
Imbrijagla |
Status for Malta : |
Cultivated species. Introduced plants cultivated for agricultural or horticultural purposes but sometimes
can be occassionaly found as an escapee close to the site of their original cultivation. |
Frequency : |
Data not available -
casual or short-lived in the wild from accidental garden or agriculture escape |
Growth form : |
Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Macro-Phanerophyte ( high trees usually over 5 m high ) |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
December – February |
Colour of Flowers: |
White or Pink |
Toxicity: |
Not particularly toxic |
Name Derivation : |
Arbutus: An ancient Latinised name from the Celtic word arboise referring to a rough fruit given for the warty fruit of these plants. (J)
unedo: ()
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Planting in rural areas : |
Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Botanical Description |
Usually a bushy shrub 1·5-3 m, occasionally a small tree up to 12 m. Bark fissured, peeling off in small flakes, mostly dull brown; young twigs glandular-setose, at least in part. Leaves 4-11 × 1·5-4 cm, oblong-lanceolate, usually 2-3 times as long as wide, serrate to subentire, glabrous except at extreme base; petiole 10 mm or less. Panicle 4-5 cm, drooping, appearing in autumn. Calyx 1·5 mm, with suborbicular lobes; corolla c. 9 × 7 mm, white, often tinged with green or pink. Berry c. 20 mm, covered with conical papillae, ripening through yellow and scarlet to deep crimson. | |
Habitat in Europe |
Evergreen scrub, wood-margins and rocky slopes
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Preferred habitat in Malta |
Known plants are of cultivated origin but some records might have been old enough to consider this species as an archaeophyte or perhaps native
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Distributional range |
Mediterranean region and S. W. Europe, extending northwards locally to N.W. Ireland.
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Distributional maps from various sources |
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Flora Europaea till 1993) |
Albania, the Balaeric Islands, Corse, Crete, France (incl. Monaco and Channel Islands but excluding Corse), Greece, Ireland, Spain (incl. Andorra but excl. the Balaerics), Italy (mainland, excl. Sicily and Sardinia), ex-Jugoslavia, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily and/or Malta, Turkey (European part)
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024)
Country codes
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? AE(G) Ag Al Bl Bu Co Cr Ct Cy Ga Gr Hb(E) Hs(S) -IJ It LS Lu Ma Sa Si(S) Sl Tn Tu(A E) Uk [Ca(C T)]
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| Links & Further literature
(0 papers) |
Google Web |
Google Images |
Google Scholar |
Research Gate |
Wikipedia |
JSTOR |
GBIF |
Med Checklist |
Cat. of Life |
EoL |
IPNI |
World Flora Online |
Plants of the World Online |
Vienna Virt. Herb. |
RBGE Herbarium |
KEW Herbarium |
MNHN |
Garden Database |
IUCN |
TROPICOS |
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
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Sales and Donations
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Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
How it works: First, submit a quotation request by completing the Online Quotation Form (link provided on the right side of this table). Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive confirmation regarding seed availability, export eligibility (where applicable), pricing, and any transport charges. Payments are accepted by Revolut, bank transfer (IBAN), or PayPal only; credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Please note that local orders are currently not being accepted. Seek Maltese nurseries and NGOs for local orders.
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Online Quotation (Seeds)
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Atlas Flora Europaea
GBIF Distribution Map
WFO Distribution map
